OPE+ interviewed Chris Roessler, V.P. of advertising and marketing for Rotary Corp., to learn more about the parts manufacturer and supplier. Roessler has worked for the family-owned Rotary for 33 years, starting right out of college.
OPE+: Through June and July this year, parts sales through power equipment dealers were pretty strong year over year. Is that continuing? Was August good for Rotary, and what’s your sales outlook?
Roessler: We’ve seen some positive trends in parts sales recently with performance aligning with the broader market conditions. As we approached the end of summer, the industry overall was experiencing consistent activity. While exact numbers and trends vary based upon the location, we’re optimistic about sustaining this momentum. It’s been a pretty good year. Of course, weather plays a big role in our industry. Parts of the west are pretty dry right now.
OPE+: Can you get a bit more specific on product segments that are doing quite well, or others that might not be?
Roessler: Our strongest sales are for wearable items. Lawn mower blades, belts, trimmer line, air filters, and similar products. These are high demand parts that require regular replacement. This gives us a consistent advantage in both the performance and availabilities since you have to replace lawn mower blades and add line to your trimmers. Those wearable items are where we are seeing real good sales traction.
OPE+: You mentioned air filters. How is electrification impacting Rotary? Are you seeing a change in parts ordering for products like spark plugs or fuel delivery?
Roessler: Right now, we have not seen any sales decline in air filters, spark plugs, fuel delivery systems and components. Demand remains steady. That said, we do recognize that the battery-powered market will continue to grow and have an impact on the market in coming years. But at this time, there’s still a lot of gasoline-powered equipment that needs to be serviced.
OPE+: I saw news recently where you awarded top salespeople in the organization. Tell me a bit about the work your sales force does. What’s a typical week like for Rotary salespeople?
Roessler: Our sales force spends a lot of time on the road visiting dealers, supporting their needs, and making sure they have the right products and programs in place. A typical week includes travel throughout their territory, meeting with the dealers to review their inventory, introduce new items, and discuss opportunities to grow their business. Our chief sales officer, Mark Smith, reminds our team that it’s not about the quantity of visits, but it’s all about the quality and the purpose behind each visit.
We also recognize how busy our dealers are serving their customers, and we want to make sure every interaction adds value to their business. It’s a demanding role, but also a very rewarding one. Our sales team takes part in building long term relationships, and that means being a trusted partner, not just a vendor. We recognize their hard work is important because it directly contributes to our dealer’s success, and ultimately Rotary’s success.
OPE+: How many dealers might a salesperson serve?
Roessler: Our customer bases in our territories are very different. We sell products through a mix of independent outdoor power equipment dealers, rural hardware stores and larger equipment dealers. Each territory is different, and the number of dealers and retailers varies. Our sales team tailors efforts toward the unique needs of their market. And over time, we’ve seen the mix evolve with some growth through traditional channels and a new emerging market. The bigger cities are growing outward, and populations are adding homes and residential areas on the outskirts. That growth in those residential areas continues to change the role and the territory that our sales reps are in. It’s not really about their size, or their type, but it’s being able to make sure that they have access to our products and that we’re able to support their needs.
We want to make sure we protect the current customers we have, but also in those expanding markets, we feel like the service is needed for our parts. That’s where we are going. Building lasting relationships and putting a name with a face. If a customer has problems or issues, we want to be there to answer their questions and concerns.
OPE+: On the personal side of your story, you were mayor for eight years, is that right?
Roessler: I had the great honor of serving as mayor of Glennville, Ga. for eight years. I look back at that time with a lot of gratitude. Public service gave me a chance to work directly with people in our community, to listen to their concerns and to focus on practical solutions that can make a difference. With the current state of politics, I value even more the importance of working together, finding common ground, and keeping the focus on the people you are serving. It was a rewarding experience that taught me a great deal about leadership, accountability, and responsibility that comes with representing others.
Rotary has employees who serve on the city council. We also have employees who are in the volunteer fire department. As a family-owned company, we feel it’s important to serve and give back to our community. So, yes, it was quite rewarding and I look back on my time as mayor with some positive thoughts.
OPE+: Do you advocate that people run for office these days?
Roessler: I absolutely encourage people to consider serving their community. I recognize it’s not an easy path because public service requires a lot of dedication and patience. For those who are motivated to make a tangible difference in helping others, it can be an incredibly rewarding experience. Anyone considering it should go in with open eyes that, first and foremost, it’s about service. The personal recognition takes a back seat. The opportunity to positively impact your community, it’s what makes it worthwhile. I had two major hurricanes come through here and two major fires in our downtown area. But you learn from those things and you want to make it better for the situation that comes again. We had no water because of the first hurricane. After that hurricane came through, we learned to listen and I said, “We’re going to put generators at each one of these water towers, and our people are going to have water when the next hurricane hits.” Going forward we’ve benefited and we made changes to make our community better.
OPE+: Let’s talk about manufacturing. You talked about mower blades and about trimmer line. How has manufacturing helped rotary this year, particularly with tariffs?
Roessler: Rotary is a U.S.-based company and our manufacturing plant for mower blades is right next door. This has become a major advantage, especially with the tariffs continuing to impact imported products, and especially the cost of steel. By producing blades domestically with premium grade American steel, we maintain quality control and manage costs more effectively plus we can respond quickly to our customers’ needs. We manufacture about 13 million lawn mower blades a year. And that capability has attracted attention not only from OEMs, but from competitors. Many of them are now seeking reliable American made blades. That speaks volumes about the strength of our reputation and the consistent quality of our products.
We’re about an hour due west of Savannah, Ga. They have a huge port there which is very convenient for shipping. Our manufacturing advantage keeps us competitive. It helps us grow. We are continuing to invest in our facilities and the process to support expansion, improve efficiencies, and also deliver the dependable, high-quality products that our customers expect.
OPE+: You’re able to get a good quantity of American steel for your mower blades?
Roessler: Absolutely. We buy steel from the same company that we have done business with for many years. We look at the market and the sustainability of it, then we lock in prices. Our blades seem to be doing really well in the market right now, and we haven’t had any issues. We have a distribution center in Germany, so we do ship blades over there. And back in 2020, we actually manufactured our 250 millionth blade.
OPE+: What’s your industry outlook for the rest of 2025 and for 2026? What’s Rotary forecasting?
Roessler: Looking ahead to 2026 for the outdoor power equipment industry, I think we are well-positioned for steady growth. That said, weather conditions remain a key factor in demand. Adequate rainfall and favorable growing conditions are essential for healthy lawns and gardens and this directly impacts the use of outdoor power equipment products. The industry will face its usual challenges and trends, such as technological innovation and a growing focus on sustainability to create significant opportunities for growth next year and beyond. We’re positive about the future.
Note: We edited this interview for length and clarity. Listen to the OPE People podcast for the complete interview with Rotary’s Chris Roessler.