Spread across Utah and Idaho, Young Powersports has found a formula for success by focusing on what truly sets it apart: its people. As the powersports industry navigates economic uncertainty, this dealership group continues to expand. It has grown to eight locations across the two states while maintaining exceptional customer experiences across the board.
Young Powersports has been able to grow its store count through strategic acquisitions. For instance, Young Powersports Layton in Layton, Utah, started as Layton Cycle and Sports. It received its new name after being acquired by the Young Automotive Group in 2019. This expansion strategy has allowed the group to build a diverse portfolio of powersports brands and establish a significant regional presence.
Jeramie Pulsipher is the general manager of Young Powersports Layton, and Kale Satterwhite is the general manager of Young Powersports Burley in Burley, Idaho. Both have extensive backgrounds in the industry. They’ve worked up to their general manager positions from several other roles — especially in the service department — within motorcycle and powersports dealerships. They have held their general manager jobs for just over a year each now. Both have seen the Young Automotive Group add locations as they added to their experience in the industry.
Beyond location growth, Young Powersports offers a diverse and growing lineup of brands across its locations, including MV Agusta, Yamaha, Suzuki, Polaris, CF MOTO, Can-Am, Sea-Doo, Ski-Doo, Honda, Kawasaki, Indian, KTM, Gas Gas, Husqvarna, Royal Enfield, Surron and now Sherco, the group’s newest vehicle offering. With economic challenges affecting consumer spending, Young Powersports has remained resilient by focusing on what makes powersports special: the joy factor.
“At Young Powersports — and the Young Automotive Group in general — we’ve been able to overcome less consumer spending because at the end of the day, this stuff’s fun,” Pulsipher explains. “No matter how bad people are hurting or how expensive stuff is, people still want to have a good time. We focus our business around having fun, giving people an outlet and letting this be a relief from all of those concerns and worries.”
The People-First Strategy for Growth
For dealers navigating growth, Pulsipher offers straightforward advice. “You’ve got to have the right people in place, the right seats on the right bus,” he says. “You can have all the best brands, you can have all the best products, you can have all the best locations, and if you don’t have a knowledgeable, friendly staff, none of that will do you any good.”
Pulsipher describes the focus on people as Young Powersports Layton’s advantage in a market where products are the spotlight. “Nothing we carry as far as the commodity is unique. What’s unique is us,” he emphasizes. “You don’t get our teams anywhere else.”
Like at any dealership, customers want — and need — a good buying experience. Pulsipher knows his team can make this happen at a high level.
“We’re not just here to sell you what we think is cool. We want you to be involved as a consumer,” he says. “Everybody has a job, everybody’s trained to do their job and they’re all passionate about doing it well, which gives us the opportunity to provide an exceptional experience to our clients.”
Multi-Dealership Teamwork
This people-first approach is a cornerstone of Young Powersports’ growth strategy across the dealer group. Satterwhite emphasizes how the company’s multi-location approach creates competitive advantages. “No matter how many dealerships you have, think of all your dealerships as a team,” he emphasizes. “If you manage inventory as a whole instead of as a separate entity, then you’re more apt to being able to grow.”
This collaborative approach has multiple benefits for all dealerships with Young Powersports.
“If one store has an excessive amount of a certain product, instead of another store ordering more of that, we take it from a different store and just maintain our inventory,” Satterwhite explains. “Instead of looking at our personal inventory as all we have in stock, we have seven more stores that we can look at and say, ‘Hey, we have the inventory, and if we don’t have it in store, we can have it here the next day.’ Our options to give our customers expand times eight.”
Balanced Business Model
Young Powersports maintains a balanced approach to its business, with sales, parts and service each playing crucial roles. Satterwhite’s store in Burley has developed innovative solutions to parts availability challenges.
“Our biggest challenge was getting parts or accessories for new units,” he claims. “What we’ve kind of done to overcome is this: We’ve preemptively been ordering stuff in bulk.”
The service department also plays a big role. “As far as accessories go, we’re probably about 20% to 25% reliant on our sales department. It’s not very high, but we are one of the premier service departments in this area,” notes Satterwhite. “We’ve built that relationship and created the customer base from our sales department, including really selling extended service contracts, because that’s going to get them in the door in our service department.”
Pulsipher also sees an even spread at Young Powersports Layton across dealer departments that equally drive business. He also iterates the importance of a good service department.
“I’d like to think we operate in thirds here. Sometimes we’re a little more sales-dependent than we are in the parts and service departments,” he adds. “But if you don’t have the ability to service the clients and their machines afterwards, whether it be for parts and accessories or maintenance and service on their machines, you’re doing yourself — and your clients — a big disservice.”
Market Expansion Through Community Connection
Young Powersports’ approach to driving traffic and expanding its market presence centers on creating exceptional experiences that generate referrals through community involvement. This strategy has allowed the group to develop new market segments and increase its regional footprint.
“We’re big-community minded,” says Satterwhite. “I’m involved in the ATV rider groups and the snowmobile association, going to their events and sponsoring the events.”
For example, one ATV group held a banquet. The group bought a four-wheeler from Young Powersports Burley to give away. This community commitment extends to different marketing and event strategies that have highlighted new revenue streams.
“That’s kind of across the group. We’re all doing it,” says Satterwhite. “We just had a bike night, and we sold four bikes just off our little bike night.”
On top of community involvement, the dealership group aims to continue growing through different business partnerships, such as Young Powersports Burley’s partnership with Yankum Ropes, a company that makes tow ropes for powersports vehicles. At Young Powersports Layton, continuing its people-first strategy is how Pulsipher wants to grow the dealership by providing development training for his employees.
“We’re going to continue to hire and train top-tier talent,” he says. “We’re going to continue to invest in our teams and get better at what we do so that we can better serve our clients again and provide that exceptional customer experience.”
Young Powersports has found its competitive edge in its people and multi-location collaborative approach. By focusing on staff development, strategic acquisitions and creating great customer experiences, the group has built a growth model that works despite economic uncertainty, with eight thriving locations that continue to capture market share across the region.
