www. PowersportsBusiness. com

Powersports Business • May 2026 • 17

( L to R) Mac Johnston of East Central Sports was named Denago’ s Dealer of the Year at AIMExpo. Kevin Duke, Denago marketing director, showing us all the features on the new Freelander 500FI 4x4. We got a free hat and t-shirt, too.

BY BRENDAN BAKER EDITOR IN CHIEF

In just a few short years, Denago Powersports has gone from having no dealers to building a network of more than 160 across the United States— and the company isn’ t slowing down.

According to GM David Garibyan, that kind of growth has been intentional from the start. Rather than chasing volume at any cost, Denago has focused on building a foundation around value-driven products, experienced personnel and strong dealer relationships.

Speaking on the Powersports Business Power Hour back in mid-February, Garibyan said the company is entering 2026 with real momentum.

“ We’ ve had a great start to the year, and we think this is definitely going to be our breakout year,” he explains.

BUILDING A DEALER NETWORK FROM SCRATCH

Denago’ s rise is notable in a powersports landscape where dealer relationships often take years, if not decades, to establish. The company launched with zero dealers in 2023, crossed the 100 mark in 2025, and has since climbed past 160, with expectations to push closer to 180 in the near future.

Garibyan credits that growth largely to the team behind the brand. Many of Denago’ s staff, from regional sales managers to marketing leadership, bring years of industry experience and established relationships.

“ It’ s not just what you know, it’ s who you know,” Garibyan explains.“ We’ ve got a team that understands the industry and understands what dealers need.”

We’ ve always said that people buy from people, and the relationship counts as a significant part of the equation. Equally important, Garibyan says, is following through on commitments.

“ We’ ve stayed true to what we said from day one,” he adds.“ Everything we told our dealers we were going to do, we’ ve done.”

That consistency has helped build trust with dealers, especially those willing to take a chance on a newer OEM. In many cases, Denago has found a home inside multiline dealerships where it fills a gap: offering more affordable options alongside premium brands.

One example highlighted during the discussion was a top-performing dealer in rural Minnesota. In a market already served by major OEMs, the dealership leaned into Denago as a key offering, attracting customers who were looking for something more budget-friendly without sacrificing utility.

“ It’ s a great example of how this can work,” Garibyan says.“ They’ ve done really

well with the brand, and we’ re proud to be part of their growth.”

Importantly, Garibyan emphasized that Denago doesn’ t require exclusivity. Dealers are free to carry multiple brands, and success with Denago often helps them expand their overall business.

“ At the end of the day, if the dealer is successful, it helps everybody,” he says.

VALUE WITHOUT CUTTING CORNERS At the center of Denago’ s strategy is a simple idea: give customers solid, usable machines at prices they can justify.

Garibyan is clear that this doesn’ t mean racing to the bottom.

“ There are always going to be cheaper products out there,” he shares.“ That’ s not what we’ re trying to be.”

Instead, Denago aims to strike a balance— offering competitive pricing while still delivering features and quality that resonate with both dealers and consumers.

That approach is evident in its newest UTV, the Rancher 650, which made its debut at AIM- Expo. With a price point around $ 10,000, the vehicle is positioned to compete in one of the most price-sensitive segments of the market.

The early response was strong. According to Garibyan, the first allocation of roughly 100 units sold out in about two and a half days during the show.

“ That was a big moment for us,” he notes.“ It showed that dealers trust what we’ re doing and believe in the product.”

The success of the launch also reinforced a broader trend Garibyan sees playing out across the industry: consumers are becoming more practical in their buying decisions.

“ You still have those high-end units, and they’ re great,” he says.“ But most people don’ t need that. They want something dependable that fits their budget.”

MEETING THE MARKET WHERE IT IS Denago’ s current lineup reflects that mindset. Its UTVs and ATVs— including the Rancher 650 and the Freelander 300 and 500— are designed to cover the core utility segment, where demand has remained steady.

“ These are workhorse-type machines,” Garibyan says.“ They’ re built to do a job, and they’ re built to last.”

That positioning puts Denago squarely in the middle of a shifting market. While high-performance models continue to draw attention, many buyers are gravitating toward smaller-displacement, more affordable units.

The Motorcycle Industry Council has noted similar trends, with increased interest in entry-level and mid-range products.

After we returned from our CFMOTO ATV launch in France, my nephew got a big surprise with a Denago E-Hawk 6 electric ATV. He was all smiles, and he loves that it is quiet, unlike his gas powered kart.

Garibyan believes that creates an opportunity.“ There’ s a big part of the market that’ s being overlooked,” he shares.“ Not everybody needs the biggest, fastest, most expensive machine.”

Denago’ s lower-priced youth ATVs and dirt bikes also play a role in that strategy. These entry-level products help bring new customers into dealerships, many of whom may not have previously considered powersports.

“ Sometimes it starts with a $ 2,000 purchase,” Garibyan says.“ But that customer could come back later for something bigger.”

IMPROVING QUALITY WITH‘ GEN 2’ PRODUCTS

As Denago grows, it’ s also working to improve

product quality and durability— particularly as it moves further into full-size machines.

Garibyan described the company’ s latest offerings as“ generation two” products, reflecting upgrades in engineering, materials and overall build quality.

“ We’ ve invested a lot into making these better,” he says.“ We’ ve brought in engineers who have worked for major OEMs, and that experience shows.”

Those improvements are especially important in the utility segment, where customers expect machines to handle real-world workloads over time.

“ When someone buys one of these, they’ re going to use it,” Garibyan says.“ It has to hold up.”

See Denago, Page 18