VIEWPOINT: Measuring Progress at the Mid-year Point

摘要

THE JULY ISSUE OF Outdoor Power Equipment (OPE) magazine has traditionally featured our annual Mid-year Progress Report, in which dealers share what their hopes were going into the year, their actual results thus far, and their outlook is for the remainder of the year. This year was no different from the standpoint that we sought to answer similar questions at the halfway point. However, this year definitely has had its challenges in terms of measuring progress. We typically survey dealers during the month of May in order to have results in time for the July issue. However, with a late spring for most, our survey hit dealers right when business was starting to boom. As a result, our Mid-year Progress Report survey did not generate a big enough sample size in order to draw industrywide conclusions. However, I would like to recognize the feedback of those dealers who took the time and effort to share their insights regarding the year so far: James Sommer, president of Service Motor Company, Dale, Wis., said that going into 2018 he expected his OPE business to be up 10 percent, and, although things were delayed because of late spring weather, his results so far have been in line with expectations. As a result, he does not plan to make any mid-year adjustments. Nate Benson of Stuart Lawn and Garden, Stuart, Fla., said he anticipated 20 percent growth in 2018 with a new location. And although a dry spring delayed sales and service by about 34 percent, he still expects a strong 2018. "Weird weather has clumped [business] into a landslide," said Raymond VanDervort, VanDervort Repair & Rebuild, Apalachin, N.Y. "We normally do 70 percent of annual [business] May-July. This year, is might end up 40 percent just in May. I hope it does not peter out, but...I expect it will be a very wet year even into early winter."