DEALER NEWS

New Board Member John Leach

Addition Expands Leadership’s Depth of Expertise Of Growing Association

NPDA PARTNER PROFILE: ZiiDMS (Dealer Management System)

News from YOUR National Powersports Dealer Association

Welcome to the July 2023 newsletter from the NPDA! WE APPRECIATE the nearly 400 Dealers who have joined us in our Mission: “To advance our industry by elevating Dealers to be well prepared, sustainably profitable and exceed the expectations of a growing Powersports customer base.”

Strength in NumbersHarley-Davidson Dealer Membership Growing, More Needed

The NPDA is a fast-growing, all-inclusive Powersports Dealer association, and we are approaching the 400-member mark to prove it! Of this number, a little more than 200 are Harley-Davidson Dealers, whose interests are served by the NPDA’s Harley-Davidson Dealer Council.

Earlier this year the H-D Council hosted meetings for Harley-Davidson Dealer members as part of the American International Motorcycle Expo (AIMExpo), which is put on annually by the Motorcycle Industry Council. In those February meetings H-D Dealers gathered for camaraderie, connections and to discuss topics of concern affecting their businesses. Since then, the Council has been working to provide insight and leadership to address issues and facilitate change where possible. Stay tuned for details on this important H-D Dealer online forum and thank you for your support of the NPDA and YOUR Harley-Davidson Dealer Council.

To share more insight into the Council’s work and to allow the Council to gain additional insight into what’s on Dealer’s minds, it will hold an NPDA Harley-Davidson Dealer Council “online forum” in September. Attendance will be limited to HarleyDavidson Dealers who are members of the NPDA, so if you know of Dealers who have not yet joined, please encourage them to make the $395 investment ($195 for the second and any additional rooftops) at www.npda.org

Welcome New Board Member John Leach

The National Powersports Dealers Association (NPDA) has added another industry expert with decades of experience to its Board of Directors as the organization has now surpassed 350 members in its relatively short existence. Since its founding in May 2021, the NPDA has quickly added new Powersports Dealer members, including Harley-Davidson and metric dealers and independent (non-franchised) shops. The Board of Directors of nine men and three women are dealers from Alaska to Virginia, Ohio to Texas.

The newest addition to this group is:

John Leach, Owner, Pete’s Cycle Co., Baltimore, Maryland

Leach has literally grown up in the Powersports business, beginning as a 12-year-old at Pete’s Cycle, which was started by his father in 1938. After holding many positions at the Dealership over the years, Leach took over operations in 1991. The company is comprised of two Dealerships, with nine brands at one, and six at the other.

“I believe the NPDA Board of Directors is there to help weigh out policies from the Manufacturers as well as the government to help steer the Dealers and the industry in the correct direction.” Leach said. “Also, to help fellow dealers out with working on their business, not in their business.”

Bob Althoff, Chairman of the NPDA, said: “John brings great expertise to his position on the NPDA Board. We look forward to seeing what ideas he brings forth and the contributions he makes in helping us continue the work of this association.”

NPDA Member Milestones

For 60 years, Cycle Inc., now doing business at Coleman PowerSports, has been delivering dreams to riders in the Washington D.C. area. Originally founded in 1963 by Dillard Coleman, Cycles, Inc. has grown from a small family business to a thriving 80,000-squarefoot enterprise with Northern Virginia locations in Falls Church and Woodbridge.

“In the beginning it was all about motorcycles,” says NPDA Board Member Kim Coleman Harrison. “Today it’s ‘PowerSports.’ From the evolving electric vehicles to 3-wheel motorcycles to off-road bikes to scooters, over to ATVs, UTVs and Personal Watercraft.” In April of 1999, Dillard Coleman retired and sold the two dealerships to a corporation called POWERride Motorsports, Inc. This made the two dealerships in Virginia part of a much larger organization consisting of two additional multi-brand Powersport dealerships across the country.

Kim Harrison, Coleman’s daughter, grew up with the company and is the General Manager for both Dealerships. Additionally, she is a founding Board member and serves as Treasurer of the National Powersports Dealer Association. “I am incredibly honored to lead Coleman PowerSports into this milestone anniversary,” Harrison said.

“The dedication and passion of our team, combined with our commitment to providing exceptional customer experiences, have been the driving force behind our success over the past 60 years. We are grateful for the trust and loyalty our customers have placed in us, and we look forward to continuing to serve them with the highest level of excellence.”

In 2019 Harrison opened PowerRide University to facilitate a premier learn-to-ride school and has already served 15,000 riders. “This is one of the most rewarding things I’ve done within the industry,” she said. “We strive to be on the leading edge, continuing to evolve with our industry. Our goal is to continue to provide our customers with top of the line products, unparalleled service, and a great experience.”

To celebrate their 60th anniversary, Coleman PowerSports has planned a series of special events and promotions throughout July. The complete event schedule can be found at: www.wherethepoweris.com