This news item gives dealers an idea of the push toward getting more ethanol—and renewable fuels in general—into America’s transportation fuel system. As many industry officials have said, more ethanol and new blends are eventually coming to a fuel tank near you, and it’s up to manufacturers and dealers to adapt and develop strategies to turn the issue in their favor.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) raised the 2009 Renewable Fuel Standard to 10.21% to ensure that at least 11.1 billion gallons of renewable fuels be blended into transportation gasoline. This standard is used by obligated parties—refiners, importers and blenders (other than oxygen blenders)—to calculate their renewable volume obligation. The EPA expects the 11.1 billion gallons of renewable fuel required in 2009 ultimately to include approximately 0.5 billion gallons of biodiesel and renewable diesel.

The North American Equipment Dealers Assn. (NAEDA), Farm Equipment Manufacturers Assn. (FEMA) and FEWA-AIMRA have completed an agreement to initiate the launch of a new online system to process warranty claims and warranty registrations. When officially launched in January 2009, the Warranty Claim Processing System will allow users to electronically complete warranty registration, file warranty claims and track the progress of claims as they are processed.

I guess it was only a matter of time, especially after the Wall Street Journal article we mentioned a while back. The other day I was watching TV, and what came on the screen was a “YAMAHA RHINO ALERT!” ad from a trial lawyer firm looking to put together a class-action lawsuit against Yamaha, manufacturer of the popular Yamaha Rhino utility vehicle. (A quick Google search of “Yamaha Rhino Trial Lawyers” nets 6,800+ results.)

As I mentioned in the first poweretblog post following GIE+EXPO, ethanol was a hot topic at the event. We’ve got more coverage of ethanol issues that came up during GIE+EXPO in the December issue of PET, with comments from OPEI officials and a quick take on an ethanol technical session given by Stihl technical training coordinator Eddie Anderson during the show. Dan Ariens and Fred Whyte also mentioned ethanol issues during their Q-n-A session at The Dealer Experience.

A complete roundup of the 2008 Power Equipment Trade GIE+EXPO Dealers Choice Awards winners and finalists is now available online at PET’s website, www.poweret.com/dca. There’s also coverage of the winners and finalists in next month’s December hard-copy issue, but the Internet version, not constrained by those pesky page counts and ad budgets, contains larger photos and complete product descriptions of all 23 products that made the final ballot. Just click on the PET Dealers Choice Awards button when you get to the home page.

Alert PET reader John Greco in Old Forge, Pa. spotted the almost-forgotten McCulloch BP-1 chain saw in the photo on p. 48 of the PET November PowerGuide issue and sent a note thanking us for running it. Greco, who sold McCulloch for Eastern States Distributors and as a factory rep back in the day, noted that the saw had a second “balancing piston” below the main piston that greatly reduced vibration.

The photo came from the big box of old Chain Saw Age (forerunner to PET) archives, which includes some classic material.

From left: Dan Ariens, Fred Whyte, OPEI's Bill Harley

One of the best-attended sessions last month at GIE+EXPO in Louisville October 23-25 was at The Dealer Experience, where long-time industry leaders Stihl Inc. President Fred Whyte and Ariens Co. President Dan Ariens took questions from the 100+ dealers in the audience and gauged the outlook for independent dealers in the lawn and garden industry.

Whyte emphasized Stihl’s business plan of selling only through servicing dealers: “It’s a market philosophy that’s served us well,” he said.

Whyte added that he believes dealers have an inherent advantage in the market through their knowledge and expertise. “Dealers have a tremendous advantage in being a resource for your customers, and you have the opportunity to build relationships with your customers that mass merchants cannot do.”

Ariens emphasized, “Now is the time to truly differentiate your businesses through service and expertise. People who come through your door have sought you out: They’re looking for help and they’re there for a reason.”

Outlook

Responding to a question about dealing with the current downturn, Whyte noted the importance of staying in contact with current customers. “Keep after your customers with direct mail, and keep incentives up to take advantage of the relationships you have,” he said, adding that service and spare parts sales become even more important during a downturn.

Ariens Co. has announced the signing of a letter of intent to enter into an agreement with two Iowa middle school students to produce and distribute an invention they designed as part of the Invent Iowa program.
Sam Hipple and Matt Moran attend Sudlow Intermediate School in Davenport. They designed the “Mega Melter” as part of the 2007 Invent Iowa program, sponsored by the Colleges of Engineering at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University. The boys were in sixth grade at the time.

Husqvarna has announced the winners of its 2008 “Husqvarna Heroes” program, a special recognition designed to highlight dealers for being “hands-on” in support of their local community. Five dealers across the country were selected on the basis of their community participation and good works.

“Several of our Husqvarna dealers have recently gone above and beyond in support of their local community, making them heroes in our eyes,” says Dave Zerfoss, president, Husqvarna Professional Products, Inc. “Therefore, we want to showcase our commitment to these dealers and their local communities by naming them our “Husqvarna Heroes.”

I noticed it just this morning driving to work. Gas at the local station had dropped six cents a gallon overnight to $1.99, led by the “Venezuelans” that supply several Citgo franchises around town. I need to send a photo to PET sales rep Bill Albrant, who lives in Orange County, Calif. Last month at GIE+EXPO in Louisville, he was taking repeated cell phone photos of gas pricing signs near the motel where we stayed for the show on Fern Valley Road south of town. Albrant had to take several photos since the price dropped from the mid $2.50 range down to I think $2.41 when he took his last photo while we were there, saying the folks he knew in southern California—where gas was still over $3/gal.—would never believe it.