One day shy of his 89th birthday, Marshall Distributing founder Roger Marshall passed away at his home in Sand Point, Michigan. An avid MSU Spartan fan, Marshall would probably appreciate our ave atque vale — a Latin phrase that translates to “hail and farewell” — salute to a hero of the powersports industry. Roger graduated from Cass City High School in 1955. He was a member of the Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity at Michigan State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree. Roger served in the United States Air Force from 1960 to 1966, where he was stationed at Selfridge Air Force Base.
In 1964, Roger and his father purchased a John Deere dealership in Cass City. With the increasing popularity of snowmobiling and his active racing, Marshall saw a need for snowmobile parts and accessories to meet the needs of local riders. So in 1968, Marshall Plastic Company was formed, shifting from farm implements to snowmobile accessories. Plastic windshields, tracks, etc. were manufactured in a shed behind the existing John Deere facility.
By 1969, the first catalog Marshall issued was to snowmobile dealers. In 1973, they ventured into motorcycle parts and accessories. Later in 1982, ATV parts and accessories, and then in 1988 came PWC parts and accessories. With more than 100,000 part numbers, Marshall Distributing’s catalogs were always dealer-direct, and a great reference guide in the pre-Internet era!
Warehouse expansion became the next step for Marshall Distributing Inc., with the addition of their Clifton Park, NY location in 2004 to better serve their East Coast dealers. In 2009, they opened a warehouse in Sparks, NV. They continued to research and add new products to their impressive inventory until 2014 when Roger sold Marshall Distributing, Inc. to Craig Shoemaker at Western Power Sports.
“The merger of the two companies will benefit our dealer network by providing the same quality service with the added advantage of a broader product line for the dealers to choose from,” said Marshall who started manufacturing snowmobile windshields the same year WPS started selling aftermarket snowmobile parts.
Roger was an avid MSU Spartan fan and attended many football and basketball games over the years. His many hobbies included racing snowmobiles, riding motorcycles, entertaining friends and family, golfing, boating, traveling, swimming and playing bridge or euchre. He looked forward to traveling with friends and planning family trips – including a week on a ranch in Wyoming just four weeks prior to his death.
Roger is survived by his wife of 64 years, Linda; his children: Jeanne (Paul) Huddleston, Kathy (Greg) Sims; grandchildren: Jessica Huddleston, Sarah (Andrew) VanVliet, Martin Huddleston, Allison (Nicholas) Kramer, Alaina Sims; great grandchildren: Kehlani Smith, Azalea Daniels, Kyro Daniels; his in-laws: Craig (Liz) Tunstall, Sandi (Rockie) Brandenburg; nephews: Matt (Jami) Tunstall, Chris (Alissa) Brandenburg, Kevin (Brenda) Tunstall, Shawn (Lauren) Brandenburg. He was preceded in death by his parents. Tags: Marshall Distributing
