dealer profile
Owner Roger Tuckner works the phones at Century Power , and says he and his team focus on customer service first .
staying home and tending to lawns themselves .”
With the inventory issues , Century ’ s customer base grew . “ I had people drive from Fargo , N . D . ( about 250 miles ), and from Michigan ,” said Tucker . While happy to sell vehicles , Tuckner viewed these sales as “ one and done ” types . “ We will never see them again .”
Inventory today at Century Power Equipment ? “ For the first time in three years , I do not have room on the show floor . I ’ m at full capacity ,” said Tuckner . To access this dealership , you drive past a Chevrolet dealer whose lot was nearly empty for a couple years . Today , it ’ s nearly full .
I visited Century Power on a sunny day in late March . There was still plenty of snow on the ground , but Tuckner and others were dreaming of long grass . It will be a few weeks before he can know if that inventory is going to move without financial incentives .
“ There is talk of more incentives , and some unpublished offers out there ,” he said . “ It will be interesting to see how aggressive the OEMs get .” Tuckner said that some OPE manufacturers are increasingly transferring costs to his business , though powersports OEMs are not doing the same . With his sales mix at 65 percent OPE and 35 percent powersports , those increased costs make a difference .
“ We can try to pass these costs on to the buyer ,” he said , “ but it ’ s not always possible , nor is it easy . The cost of business is going up for me . Energy for the building , wages , taxes , you name it . When the OEMs squeeze too , it ’ s frustrating .”
Powersports vehicles mingle naturally with utility-focused power equipment from
Yamaha , Arctic Cat and John Deere .
While Tuckner can ’ t control every expense , he and his team control the work they do with customers every day . “ Our focus is on relationships ,” he said . “ We can help people find the right vehicle and products , and we can help keep those products running and operating well . We provide the best overall service we can in that way .”
With more than 40 years of experience , Tuckner and Century Power have seen industries evolve , and they ’ ve made the necessary adjustments to stay successful . With electrification , automation , and the continued rise of online shopping , Tuckner will continue to adjust , to a point . He sees a trend with online shoppers increasingly searching by price first .
“ It ’ s a small group , maybe 5 percent , who are simply price shoppers ,” said Tuckner . “ We are not for those people . We don ’ t want every customer , honestly . Most people are appreciative and understand what we do , and the importance of the relationship and local business .”
It ’ s customer service first for Century Power . “ And we continue to grow , so we will stick with our current practices ,” said Tuckner .
www . OPEBusiness . com April 2023 OPE Business 21