The National Powersports Dealer Association (NPDA), was founded to help franchised and independent powersports Dealers via services, products, programs, education and advocacy. The end goal is to create a professional, successful and profitable industry. The vision is for NPDA to advance our industry by elevating Dealers to be well prepared, sustainably profitable and exceed the expectations of a growing powersports customer base. In short, NPDA is the Dealers themselves.
Currently serving her state dealer association in a similar role, Harrison was voted in as the National Powersports Dealer Association’s first secretary/treasurer. In addition to recording the meeting minutes for the summit session in Texas, she filed for incorporation and opened a bank account for NPDA simultaneously! She also filed for 501 (c) non-profit status and spearheaded the logo and website committees.
“My name is Kim Harrison, and I'm from Coleman PowerSports, which is in Northern Virginia, just outside of Washington, DC." The storied history of her business started in June 1963, when Cycle Imports opened for business in Arlington, Virginia. The shop sold BSA motorcycles only. In 1964, it moved to a new location in Falls Church, and changed the company name to Cycles Incorporated. The new location offered ten times the floor space, allowing the company to grow by adding big-name franchises and additional product lines through the years 1965 and 1972. The store relocated once more before finally moving to Falls Church, Virginia — its current location – in 1986.
This move brought another name change: Coleman PowerSports, which was chosen to better reflect the broad range of products carried. The present location occupies 42,000 square feet, a remarkable comparison to the initial one-man operation in a small 800 square foot facility founded by Kim’s father, Dillard Coleman. He built an organization with as many as 150 employees in peak season, and 80,000 square feet between two locations (Falls Church and Woodbridge).
“I was actually born into the powersports business as my Dad started the dealerships in 1963. I started working there when I was 13 years old and have never left.” In a lifetime spent in this industry, Kim thought she had seen it all, except for a national Dealer association.
“I’m very excited to be a part of the founding board of the National Powersports Dealer Association. It was long overdue! It's finally time for the Dealers to have a voice in directing our future, whether it's from educating our staff to developing programs that can save us money, or just even having a place to call to get an answer to that question.” The question is why haven’t Dealers had this opportunity before?
“NPDA is something that we don't have now and we haven't had in the past. I’m thrilled that now is the time that Dealers can join and have a voice and protect their future. Associations do for us what we can’t do alone.”
Bottom Line:
“Join the National Powersports Dealers Association and find out what we're all about.”