Category: News

Makita is hitting the road with the new Driving Innovation Tour, a fleet of fully customized vehicles with product specialists delivering an interactive and hands-on experience for tool users and dealers. The vehicles will each carry a full range of Makita LXT, which gives users one system using the same batteries and chargers on all…

The Equipment Dealers Association (EDA) and HBK CPAs & Consultants are concerned about the unintended consequences and potential implications the Supreme Court decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair may have on equipment dealers throughout the U.S. The decision, overturning 1992 precedent, means that South Dakota can now collect sales tax from businesses operating outside of…

The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) held its 66th Annual Meeting in mid-June in Florida, focusing on messages of innovation and industry advancement. Chief among industry updates heard at the meeting, the trade association introduced its new statistics vendor, Vault Consulting, which showcased updates to the members-only program’s capabilities and categories. OPEI staff also shared…

Stens has awarded $2500 in Stens Give Back Scholarships for the 2018-2019 school year. Benjamin Zinner, Wilmington, Del., was awarded $1,000; with Clint Littleton, Salisbury, Mo.; Jonathan Barber, Greenfield, Ind.; and Nicole Gentry, Buffalo, Minn., each receiving $500 scholarships. Benjamin Zinner attends University of Delaware, where he will be a junior in the fall majoring…

An additional 69 mower models have been added to the list of OEM dealer-converted units eligible for the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) Propane Mower Incentive Program. The incentive program offers up to $1,000 for each approved OEM dealer-converted unit or dedicated propane mower, and $500 for each qualified propane mower conversion kit. Units…

The Equipment Dealer’s Association (EDA) recently announced winners of the 2018 Dealer’s Choice Awards, given to the top rated manufacturers in four categories based on results from EDA’s 2018 Dealer-Manufacturer Relations Survey. 2018 Dealer’s Choice Award Recipients are—Full-Line Manufacturer: Claas; Tractor Manufacturer: LS Tractor; Shortline Manufacturer: Bourgault; Outdoor Power Equipment Manufacturer: Scag EDA also recognizes…

Officials with Kubota Tractor Corp. (KTC) recently announced the purchase of nearly 318 acres of land in Ponder, Tex., roughly 30 miles northwest of its North American headquarters location in Grapevine, Tex. The property, dubbed Kubota Ranch, will strengthen the company’s roots in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth region and allow it to bring its dealers…

Kohler is pleased to introduce Medart Inc. as the central distributor for Kohler gasoline engines along with gasoline and diesel service parts in Texas. This announcement follows the successful acquisition by Medart Inc. of the small engines business of Waukesha-Pearce LLC (WPI). Medart is a longtime distributor of Kohler gasoline engines, portable generators, and pumps…

Officials with the Northeast Equipment Dealers Assn. (NEDA) recently conducted a survey of dealers and their efforts to recruit ex-military members as employees. The results show that 33% of dealers are currently making an effort to recruit veterans. And while two-thirds of dealers say they have direct experience as a veteran or a family member…

Grappling with a good problem to have—“We outgrew our space,” said Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) President and CEO Kris Kiser—the OPEI recently opened a new headquarters facility in Alexandria, Va. “This is an exciting moment in the history of OPEI. As this year’s chairman, I’m proud to officially open our new headquarters for business,”…