Talk about a rock and a hard place! It is no secret that the powersports industry finds itself in a time of transition, and it is even tougher to be a single line Harley-Davidson Dealer these days. Meet Brett Tekavec, who has spent the past 33 successful years with Harley-Davidson, starting inside with The Motor Company and then becoming the Dealer Principal for both Queen City H-D and H-D of Washington, D.C., dealerships. This perspective makes for a grounded, balanced… and surprising world view.
He doesn’t rise to the bait from Robby Starbuck and the Internet, he doesn’t waste time with self-pity or second guessing senior management and he doesn’t see fellow dealers as competition. Instead he remains focused on the things he can do better with his dealership, with his fellow dealers and his current… and future customers. He is measured, methodical and focused in his approach with a clear vision of what can and needs to be done… Conversely, he is passionate about the brand and optimistic about the future. He even has a shocking take on LiveWire!
“I believe the future is going to be bright,” he says, in a thoughtful, measured way. He is not a pollyanna, but his viewpoint is surprisingly upbeat… and brutally honest. “In looking at the things that we’ve experienced in the last three-four years, collectively, understanding the ups and the downs, it has only made us better. Understanding how we’ve become leaner, but better at what we do. I also believe that in those last couple of years, we’ve become lazy! Now we’ve got to fight our way back out of that and figure out how to be successful again in a new way.”
The COVID bubble has clearly burst, but it is not the end of the world for those willing to put in the work, Tekavec believes. “It’s not the same anymore, and we’ve got to continue to build that bridge for all of us.” If you have seen all the rancor online and in the court of public opinion, bridging the gap between the ivory towers of HQ and the trenches on the front lines of Harley dealerships would seem like an insurmountable task… So why does this otherwise rational, professional businessman think there is still a place for “the land of misfit toys” as he calls the powersports industry?
There are some opportunities, he counters. “Powersports World was announced at NPDA’s DealerConnect — that’s going to get more eyes on our products, maybe even more butts in seats over time. Scale says a rising tide floats all our boats.” He also knows more dealers will have to get onboard and start the process of bailing out all of our collective boats!
