www . PowersportsBusiness . com Powersports Business • December 2024 • 23

People could say that we ’ re a little bit of a monopoly because there ’ s only one other dealer [ in Alaska ], but I will never be entitled to their business . I ’ m always working to earn and retain

business .

time , motorcycle camping wasn ’ t as big , but now the dealership is on every ADV rider ’ s list as a place to camp ,” Matteson says . Riders from all over the world , some riding from the top of Alaska to South America , can camp , shower and change their oil .

SERVICE TECHNICIAN APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

Matteson has done many rides and solo rides around the country , so she understands the importance of needing somewhere to stay or needing service when your bike breaks down .

“ We need to get them in and out as fast as we can ,” she says . To make sure the dealerships have top-notch service technicians , she and Nick Morton , her husband and a 10−year master technician at Volkswagen , developed an apprenticeship program that they implemented in 2023 . “ That ’ s a big focus for us ,” she says . “ Making sure we have highly trained technicians that are learning all the right things .”

MOVING INTO 2025 “ In Alaska , people could say or feel that we ’ re a little bit of a monopoly because there ’ s only one other dealer in our state ,” Matteson says . “ But I will never act like that . I will never be entitled to their business . I ’ m always working to earn and retain business .”

To do this , Matteson is focused on processes and training . “ Sometimes you can make things overcomplicated and forget that you need to be training your staff on the perfect process to get a motorcycle back into service ,” she says . “ We want to be able to communicate with our customers and solve the problem faster . That ’ s what we ’ re doing next year , training and retention . Keeping the staff we have and making sure they ’ re happy and trained .”

“ There ’ s a lot of pressure being an owner , and a lot of things people have no idea that we deal with as owners – threats of lawsuits , employment complaints – but at the end of the day , I love it ,” Matteson adds . “ I love the action , I love the pressure , I love to feel like I ’ m accomplishing something .”

When Matteson was in elementary school , she would ride as passenger with her dad on his motorcycle from Alaska to Arizona .

EST 1911 | DENVER , COLORADO

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