20 • July 2023 • Powersports Business

BY MADELYN HUBBARD ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Located a mile from Lake Ray Hubbard in Rockwall , Texas , Classic Powersports of Rockwall caught the attention of automotive industry vets , Mike and Lisa Ward . Impressed by the dealership ’ s location , brands and business culture , the Wards acquired the dealership March 1 . They are part of the Classic Chevrolet automotive family , a well-established automotive dealership in Grapevine , Texas .

“ Classic is the number one Chevy dealer in the United States and customer satisfaction is their number one goal . So as far as implementing things from them , that ’ s something we ’ re highly fixated on ,” says Tyler Rager , general manager of Classic Powersports of Rockwall .

Rager has worked at the dealership , formerly known as Rockwall Powersports , since he was 16 years old . He recalls when he worked in shipping and receiving and when the dealership carried one line .

The dealership has been in the same location for 22 years and originally operated out of a tin building next to its current facility which was built in 2001 . Over the years , the previous owner , Michael Worrell , acquired other dealerships and worked directly with manufacturers to diversify its product offering . Classic Powersports of Rockwall now carries major lines including Honda , Yamaha , Kawasaki , Suzuki , CFMoto , KTM and ARGO .

“ We were looking for the right store in a growing market ,” says Mike Ward . “ In our two-year search we contacted a local dealer to see if he would consider selling . Rockwall Powersports has been in business for over twenty years and is very involved within the community . After numerous conversations , we agreed to purchase Rockwall Powersports in the suburbs of the Dallas Fort-Worth area . It was very important to purchase a store that had the right combination of brands .”

The Wards were also impressed by the business culture of the dealership . “ The first thing that I noticed was that they ’ re a tight family here ,” says Lisa Ward . “ You could tell they care about each other .” She points out the employees ’ passion for the industry and how familiar they are with what they sell . “ They ’ re really talented in picking the right type of equipment for a particular customer ,” she says .

TRAINING AND PROMOTION The Wards first focus as new owners will be to increase sales by improving customer service . This starts with training . “ We do have training , but we ’ ll continue our training program with our technicians . We feel that ’ s

Classic Powersports of Rockwall carries major lines Honda , Yamaha , Kawasaki , Suzuki , CFMoto , KTM and ARGO . The new owners are excited to expand the dealerships offering and will oversee the increase of pickups and deliveries and eventually provide a mobile service .

Located a mile from Lake Ray Hubbard in Rockwall , Texas , Classic Powersports of Rockwall was acquired by automotive industry ’ s Mike and Lisa Ward on March 1 . Photos courtesy of Classic Powersports of Rockwall

From left to right : Tyler Rager has worked at the dealership since he was 16 years old and is the general manager of Classic Powersports . Lisa and Mike Ward are the new owners of the dealership . a huge part of our success story – gaining sales through our service facility ,” Mike Ward says . “ In the automobile industry , there are so many different makes and models and you ’ ve got to be on your training and get everybody certified . So , certification of our employees and making sure they have all the training tools they need will be a focus .”

The Wards will also ensure that every preowned unit and unit with an added accessory is posted online to boost leads . Like most dealerships , Classic utilizes major social media platforms like Facebook , Instagram and Twitter .

“ We are also keeping up with new trends to reach our target specific market ,” Rager says . “ The younger generation has shifted to alternative platforms , like TikTok for example , that only give us limited time to draw the viewer in and draw them to our dealership . With the vast generational differences of our customer base , it has been a challenge to adapt and overcome the challenges of capturing the attention of our younger 18− to 30−year-old audiences .”

But the dealership is adapting and posts Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts , 10−15 second videos , that tend to attract the most attention from the younger generation . “ We ’ ve found that the generic ‘ commercial ’ type manufacturer ads have far less click through interactions than the more ‘ personal ’ shots from a cell phone ,” Rager says .

THE FUTURE OF CLASSIC The Wards are excited to expand the dealerships offering to customers . They will oversee the increase of pickups and deliveries and will eventually provide a mobile service .

“ I have been riding bikes since childhood and traveled all over the United States on a bike ,” Mike Ward says , “ and Lisa has been riding dirt bikes and jet skis since childhood . Lisa and I have lived in the Rockwall area for over 25 years and are very familiar with the customers ’ needs and lifestyles .”

For now , the couple is focused solely on Classic Powersports of Rockwall and maintaining its business culture , improving processes and providing employee benefits .

“ Being that this building was originally built to be a single line Honda franchise dealer 22 years ago , to now carrying eight different manufacturers under one roof , we definitely struggle at times with growing pains in various areas ,” Rager says . “ I don ’ t think there ’ s a limit to where we want to go with this new venture under the Classic ownership .”

“ We want to be able to offer these employees some of the benefits that are available to the larger dealership groups ,” Lisa Ward says .

Rager also explains the important of offering health benefits . “ In the past , it was feasible to be a small , family-owned business with under 30−40 employees and provide an affordable healthcare plan ,” he says . “ One of the many benefits that the Classic auto group brings to the table , with their vast network of dealerships and employing thousands of employees throughout the United States , we are able to offer a more reasonable and affordable benefits package to all of our employees .”

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Rockwall is the smallest county in Texas based on square mileage , and one of the smallest in population . It is also one of the fastest-growing counties of its size . The Ward ’ s realize most newcomers are not familiar with the dealership , so community involvement is a priority .

“ We want to be involved in the parades or any kind of charity event that will keep our name out there ,” Mike Ward says . “ With the Classic family , we ’ re involved in multiple charities and several million dollars a year go out to charities from the Classic family . We ’ ll definitely be involved .”