TOP 100 LEADERS IN POWERSPORTS We Interrupt This Program To Bring You An Important Message

By Bob Althoff

T

here are far too many interruptions in life. The pace seems even faster. The noise from our devices can be deafening. When every tweet, every e-mail, every call, every staffer and every customer needs to be considered, it can all be a bit too much. Dealers deserve to be recognized for retail excellence now more than ever. Given that context, the decision to interrupt the Dealernews Top 100 Dealer competition was not taken lightly. We remain convinced it is the most comprehensive; the most objective and the most prestigious measurement of excellence in our industry. It is important… and it will return.

Being in the Dealernews Top 100 really means something to those worthy of the honor. Sure, there are awards Dealers can win from their OEMs, but they can sometimes measure servitude better than retail excellence. There are other wanna-be competitions, but their judging is not as rigorous and track record not nearly as extensive. Dealernews has always employed a panel of industry experts to score entries independently. It takes multiple judges — blind to one another’s scoring — whose scores are then compiled to

50

secure consideration for the Top 100, it requires the further compilation and distillation of perhaps six or eight separate category scores to be tallied to then rise to the top of our industry. Final compiled scoring can be razor thin. The difference between Top 100 and being number 101 with no cigar is literally a fraction of a point. For any Dealer good enough and fortunate enough to have been named a TOP 100 winner over the past 25 years, you know what a truly big deal it is. We know full well the great work being done by our approximately 10,000 powersports Dealers across North America. Work being done by Dealers large and small in big cities and in rural communities. Work being done under what must be considered very difficult times. Work that represents the passion our Dealers have for our sport, our lifestyle, our customers and their communities. To our Top 100 Dealers — we salute you! You know who you are. You know the hard work going on in your stores. You know the long hours you and your staffs endure in your pursuit of passion and profit.