FEBRUARY 2022

CARIBOU, Maine – Luke Roy is a bit of a unicorn. At least in power equipment dealer circles – maybe unicorn isn’t the right word. But he’s definitely not your typical power equipment dealer. Though he says he’s held a wrench since he learned to walk, Roy didn’t grow up in a power equipment dealership. Instead, he got hooked on small engines in middle school and high school shop classes. “We tore down and rebuilt an entire engine in a 90-minute shop class and it ran. Throughout middle school and high school I would pick up mowers on the side of the road and bring them home and start tinkering on them,” Roy says of his start.

After he and his wife Marie purchased their home in 2014, Roy used the 25×30 three-car garage (with two bays that are insulated) to start working on equipment. He says he started with family, and then family told their friends and friends told their neighbors and in a few years, it quickly became 25 machines in a matter of two weeks. At the same time while working full-time in law enforcement, Roy did repairs on the side. The police work took its toll, and Roy went down to part-time; he picked up some hours working as a parts guy for another shop close to where he lived. After the birth of their second son in February 2018, Roy put in his two weeks notice with the local police department and told his wife he was going into business.

“She was like, ‘WHAT?!’” he remembers laughing. “I told her I think I am going to open up a small engine repair business.” Thanks to strong word-of-mouth and the community’s need to have a dependable small engine mechanic, Luke’s Small Engine Shop has been busy since the day he started. Just three years later, Roy realized it was time to take the shop to the next level.

Article by Jessica Johnson, Managing Editor, Power Equipment Trade

If you are like me and looking at 2021 through a different set of glasses, you might determine that 2021 was driven much by the trillions of dollars artificially being pumped into the economy, too few goods chasing too many dollars, and customers becoming used to “waiting” for the inventory to shop up. Will this set of circumstances continue? I think we all know the answer to that. It’s a market and the market will change, and we will get back to a point where the market will determine who is successful and who is not. If I popped your bubble, I’m sorry, but the market was going to pop it anyway at some point.

Article by Greg German

Briggs & Stratton Gives Snapper A Brand Refresh

Kohler Power Makes Acquisition

Toro Co. Acquires Spartan Mowers

OPEI Engages On Engine Restrictions

EETC Workshops Train The Trainer

VP Racing Adds VP Of Marketing

Longtime OPEI Leader Dennis Dix Dies

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following companies submitted editorial profiles and images to complement their advertisements in the Power Equipment Trade February 2022.

ARCHER

ASPEN

HEFTEE

IDEAL COMPUTER SYSTEMS

PRUFREX

ROTARY

STIHL

SUNBELT

Consumers are constantly bombarded with content. Bombarded is probably an understatement. Approximately 2.5 quintillion (that’s 2.5 followed by 18 zeroes!) bytes of data are created and distributed on the Internet every day. To put that into perspective, 2.5 quintillion bytes of data would fill about 100 million blu-ray discs. So, what’s the best way to ensure your dealership’s content gets in front of potential customers?

Article by Jacqlyn Kirkland

During the past few months, activities and issues surrounding the right to repair movement have continued apace, and even U.S. President Joe Biden has weighed in during a recent cabinet meeting. Meanwhile, farmers and farm technology remain flashpoints for the movement, while Apple and others have made moves to appease independent service and consumer interests.

Electric Sheep Robotics Raises $21.5 Million For Its Robot Mower

Things are pretty exciting here at Mr. Mower Man! 2022 is set up to be a year filled with new and exciting things! For one, I just had a 14x40 portable garage delivered on December 30th to my new location on a U.S. highway. I’ll be using this building as a shop this year. Relocating at last! It’s going to be a busy month or two before busy season hits once again, as I get the new garage insulated and prepared for handling all the power equipment work that’s going to be done in it.

Article by Sam Stearns, owner and operator, Mr. Mower Man, Scottsburg, Indiana