With the Motor Co. announcing this month that Chairman, President and CEO Jochen Zeitz will be retiring in 2025, the Harley-Davidson Council had plenty of conversation topics during the group's monthly video call. George Gatto Council Chairman George Gatto, NPDA Co-Founder and President of Three Rivers Harley-Davidson in the Pittsburgh area, said NPDA's Harley-Davidson Dealer Members are rooting for Harley to be successful. “Harley dealers love the brand. We are the stewards

By Bob Kee Destination Cycle I remember Ed Lemco years ago comparing running an automotive dealership with operating a powersports store. He said that car stores, despite their much larger sales volumes, were much simpler businesses, because customers would always need to replace older vehicles with new cars and trucks. He pointed out that our businesses had two additional challenges: we are selling a highly discretionary product, and we operate a very seasonal business (thin

The Stanek-Haack Group at Morgan Stanley, an NPDA Strategic Partner since 2023, will be exhibiting at Dealer Connect, being held Sept. 21-23 in Columbus, Ohio. Make plans now to visit with Brad Stanek, Paulina Matel and the rest of the crew from their Chicago office that has been overly supportive of the NPDA with their Partnership.  NPDA Dealer Member receive a FREE Second Opinion Service from the Stanek-Haack Group at Morgan Stanley that allows Dealers to review their tota

The NPDA in March welcomed three new Gold-level Partners in March in an effort for Dealers to start the spring season with new opportunities for growth. Ekho, 50 State DMV and Westlake Portfolio Management are among the newest companies to offer their support to the NPDA. Ekho Ekho is a new entrant into the industry technology field. Co-founder Rowan Mockler and his colleague, Mike Cunningham, who recently retired after a lengthy career in the industry, are high on the prospe

Lightspeed DMS became a Gold Partner of the NPDA in March 2025 and brought an exclusive offering for NPDA Dealers with them. NPDA Dealer Members that become new Lightspeed customers will receive 3 free months of the entire Lightspeed DMS system. Depending on size of the dealership this could equal savings of $10,000! Lightspeed also committed to Dealer Connect as an exhibitor. View all of the Member Benefits being offered by our NPDA Partners by clicking here. — Dave McMahon,

Did you miss the NPDA Annual Meeting webinar last month? Thanks to all attendees who made the inaugural online event a success. We appreciate your attendance and the feedback related to the efficiency of the event, as we covered a broad range of topics in quick fashion. NPDA Members can view the recording at their leisure by clicking here. NPDA Dealers and Partners were permitted to join the live webinar to hear from the NPDA Executive Committee, including Bob Kee, Chairman o

Congratulations to NPDA Dealer Member Brandon Prokupek on the acquisition of his latest dealership in North Carolina. Prokupek has purchased Schronce Powersports in Taylorsville, which has been in business for more than 20 years. Brandon Prokupek (right), alongside his father Steve at the North Carolina Dealer Association Annual Meeting, has added a third Powermaxx location to his portfolio. Prokupek’s Powermaxx group now has three locations. One dealership is located in Iro

Fallbrook, California-based ACTION Recruiting, a leader in executive search and recruiting for the powersports industry, is thrilled to announce the addition of Melissa Coffey to the team. With more than 25 years of experience in the powersports, motorsports, motorcycle, EV, and bicycle industries, Coffey will be instrumental in enhancing ACTION’s capabilities for executive-level searches for both current and future clients. ACTION Recruiting became an NPDA Platinum Partner e

The National Powersports Dealer Association (NPDA) today launched its EDGE educational platform, allowing dealership owners and staff to capitalize on Education, Development, Growth and Excellence. EDGE stands for: Education – Industry-leading training programs tailored for Dealership roles; Development – Career pathways that support Dealership employee growth and retention; Growth – Elevating Dealership performance through knowledge; Excellence – Setting new standards for p

Dealer Connect is now only 6 Months Away as we prepare for Year 2 of our education and networking conference being held Sept. 21-23 at the Hilton Downtown in Columbus, Ohio. From Saturday Bonus Sessions to mapping out prospective seminars for Dealers and networking opportunities to help make 2026 better for all, we are in full go-mode! NPDA Dealer Members can register today for the Early Bird Rate of $249 by clicking here. Don't overlook the savings and get it booked on your

By Jolene Krizan Garage Composites If you’ve been in the powersports industry for a while, you know that keeping a dealership running smoothly isn’t just about selling units, it’s about keeping your team motivated. A motivated team works harder, delivers better customer experiences, and ultimately drives more success for the entire dealership. There’s always a lot going on in the industry, shifts in the economy, inventory challenges, changing consumer trends, but the one thin

Torque Group, an NPDA Gold Partner, will be hosting its Advanced F&I Training March 31-April 1 at the company’s Evansville, Indiana, headquarters. A welcome reception will be held on Sunday, March 30. The extensive two-day training course is designed specifically for seasoned F&I professionals. Prepare to dive deep into advanced closing techniques and product mastery. The course will be led by a highly esteemed trainer with decades of experience, providing unparalleled insigh

Chris Cushing and Matt McNeil, longtime executives at Sheffield Financial, attended the 2024 Dealer Connect conference. Thanks to the support and welcome from our attending Dealer and Partner Members, Sheffield Financial became an NPDA gold Partner in quick fashion. Many of us go back to the days of Sheffield being helmed by founder Jack Snow until his retirement in 2019. Snow and his wife, Bonnie, started Sheffield in 1992 and it continues to flourish today as a division of

The NPDA is proud to announce that ACTION Recruiting has become a Platinum Partner. Founder Jan Plessner has established a highly successful executive search/recruiting firm for the powersports, motorcycle and marine industries. ACTION Recruiting is celebrating its partnership with NPDA by offering all NPDA Dealerships and Partnership-level member companies a $1,000 credit on their next placement. This applies to current and new clients and is valid through Dec. 31, 2025. Fo

By Sam Dantzler, Garage Composites Look inside. As we look forward to what 2025 brings, the word that's in everyone's minds is uncertainty. Uncertainty for various reasons, some self-induced and others perceived on the consumer's end. At the time of this writing, the scare of tariffs between multiple countries has OEMs panicked at the cost of their goods and what it means ultimately for retail pricing. Whether those tariffs will play out or be simply a point of leverage remai

We have an opportunity for a limited number of you to go to Washington, D.C., and speak face-to-face with members of Congress and their staff to tell them about the issues important to your business and to the powersports industry. This is your chance to tell them what needs to be done. The Motorcycle Industry Council has a special offer to NPDA members interested in attending the Powersports Capitol Hill Fly-In, April 7-8. Lawmakers need to hear from local employers (you!)

Dave McMahon, Executive Director of the NPDA, was invited to attend the North Carolina Motorcycle Dealer Association's Annual Meeting March 1-2. (From left) Chris Brewer/Brewer Cycles and Greg Couchois/Capital Powersports at the prize ceremony. President Chris Brewer, an NPDA Member and Owner of Brewer Cycles, presided over the meeting at the always-inviting Aloft Hotel in Durham. NCMDA Executive Director Lisa Brewer once again ensured that the event was enjoyable for all wit

By Kim Harrison, Coleman Powersports NPDA Co-Founder and Secretary/Treasurer Kim Harrison As a founding Board Member and Secretary/Treasurer of the National Powersports Dealer Association (NPDA), one of my key goals has always been to ensure that NPDA delivers real, tangible benefits to our Members. While our work in industry growth, education, and representation is essential, we also want to provide direct value to every Dealer who joins us. Right now, NPDA members have acce

Gold Partner Accelerate2Compliance is offering an exclusive deal for NPDA Dealers: Get six months of Dark Web Monitoring free (a $300 value per domain) with your A2Safe Hub purchase! After six months, you can subscribe or cancel at no additional cost. Contact sales@accelerate2compliance.com to learn more. Click the image below to download the 1-page PDF with details of the offer. Contact A2C to find out if your dealership is already exposed on the Dark Web. Are Your Employe

In Q4 of 2024, Paulina Matel and Brad Stanek, Financial Advisors with the Stanek-Haack Group at Morgan Stanley, held a webinar with Doug Sexton, President of V20 Recruiting and Consulting, to discuss dealership staffing, financial planning, and business value growth. Doug emphasized that the war for talent is very real and is more challenging than ever before. He discussed how a shortage of tradespeople, an aging workforce, and competitive wages are attributable to this tal