Proudly serving the industry for which it was named for more than 50 years, Outdoor Power Equipment provides dealers who sell and service outdoor power equipment with valuable information to succeed in a competitive market.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/98625
Oregon's HT250 Hedge Trimmer (top) and ST250 Trimmer/Edger (bottom) healthier plants. The trimmer's dual-action blades provide smooth cutting action while reducing vibration and noise. The light-weight, ergonomic design features balanced handle placement for comfortable operation and handling. The hedge trimmer features a variable-speed trigger, increasing control and run time. Capable of cutting branches up to 3/4-inch in diameter, the HT250 delivers up to 60 minutes of trigger time on a single charge with the B400E 2.4 Ah Battery Pack and 30 minutes with the B500S 1.25 Ah Battery Pack. When accounting for other aspects of the job, this trigger time can equate to total project times of 1-3 hours. Available in spring 2013, the Oregon ST250 Trimmer/Edger and HT250 Hedge Trimmer can be purchased in convenient kits that include a battery pack and charger. For an existing Oregon cordless user, the units can also be purchased without a battery or charger. Additional batteries and chargers can be purchased separately. Stihl Inc. celebrates Dealer Day in grand fashion Stihl Inc. celebrated Dealer Day at its indoor booth with an Oktoberfest theme, live German music, free brats, unveiling of new products, a $5,000 giveaway, and the announcement of a much bigger giveaway. The company announced that its awardwinning Stihl iCademy Web-based learning program, which provides customized training for all registered Stihl dealer owners and their employees, is closing in on its one-millionth test recorded.To celebrate this milestone, the company is presenting the Stihl iCademy Challenge "Train2Gain" Sweepstakes for Stihl dealers. The registered iCademy dealer employee who successfully completes the one-millionth test will receive two complimentary roundtrip coach airline tickets to anywhere in the continental United States.The owner of that employee's Stihl dealership is also a winner and will be presented with a new 2013 Ram 1500 Big Horn Quad Cab 4X4 truck. In addition, both the dealer and employee winner, accompanied by guests of their choice, will be awarded a trip to the Stihl Inc. headquarters in Virginia Beach, Va., where they will be treated to a tour of the manufacturing plant, meet Stihl representatives, and be recognized for their achievements. With the iCademy training program, Stihl Inc. sets the standard in the outdoor power equipment industry for Web-based learning programs. More than 38,000 registered users take advantage of a wide array of free interactive training modules and videos. The site provides education on topics ranging from Stihl products, merchandising, customer service, troubleshooting and repairs, to selling skills, public relations and business management. Fred Whyte, president of Stihl Inc., believes iCademy works well with the unique two-step distribution strategy the company employs. "Because we only sell through servicing dealers, their success is our success," he said. "The iCademy program delivers the product and business knowledge they need in a way that is accessible and easy for them to use." With more than 50 training modules and a host of videos currently on the iCademy site, and with frequent additions of new and updated materials, Stihl offers its dealers a firstclass training resource to keep them on the leading edge. For details and complete rules and regulations for iCademy Train2Gain, Stihl dealers can visit stihlicademy.com. OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT Continued on page 34 DECEMBER 2012 21