Powersports and music may seem like an odd pair. However, with many side-by-sides nowadays coming equipped with sound systems and other fun accessories, the two subjects are gradually becoming more synonymous with one another. A place where powersports and music can naturally blend is Tennessee.
Memphis has a rich history in blues and Nashville — Music City itself — is a country hot spot, but halfway between these iconic cities lies a third that is bringing song and off-roading together: Jackson, Tennessee. Known as the birthplace of rockabilly tunes, Jackson is also, incidentally, where you can find the largest Segway dealer in the U.S., REV Powersports.
Collin Johnson, co-owner of REV Powersports, began his stint in the powersports industry as just a hobby. When he was a kid, he began modifying Honda ATC70s and eventually worked his way up to building competition ATVs.
In college, Johnson put his hobby on hold and got a degree in business management. He got a job in aviation maintenance for around seven years, and after he got laid off, he decided to pursue his old hobby as his career.
“I approached my current business partner who’s a longtime friend and an excellent mechanic, and we decided to join forces and open up our own shop. That’s where REV Powersports was born,” explains Johnson.
A Change in Scale
When the dealership was first founded seven years ago, the majority of vehicle sales were from used powersports vehicles. After six years of doing business, REV Powersports began selling Segway UTVs.
It was their shared interests that brought the dealer and OEM together. “We wanted a brand that was going to share a commonality. They would give us the resources and tools to be the dealer that I know we’re capable of being,” Johnson says. “Segway came on board and … told me about the direction they were headed, and it really opened our eyes into seeing that they’re actually trying to do things a little bit differently. We knew we wanted to be a part of that.”
Johnson loves Segway’s lifetime powertrain warranty and the OEM’s innovative technology that are helping to move the powersports industry forward. “It’s a really exciting thing to be a part of.”
REV Powersports’ work with Segway has helped to boost the dealership’s business. Johnson would tell you that his dealership used to be a small-scale operation, and it still is in some ways. With its recent growth, there is a lot more to take care of at the dealership.
“Our biggest challenge has been being able to manage that workload, the scheduling difficulties, and then you’ve always got deadlines. We’ve always got demand to meet, toeing the line between what is practical and what makes financial sense from a business standpoint,” notes Johnson.
This has led Johnson to delegate tasks at the dealership to his eight employees. He claims this has let his employees thrive and succeed, not just by growing them as workers but also by growing their value to the company. Delegation has helped Johnson’s employees take departmental success into their own hands.
“It gives them ownership of their particular job, of their particular department and makes them feel appreciated. It makes them feel needed,” Johnson says. “It takes that off of me personally and lets me kind of take a managerial standpoint and focus on growing the brand, on growing the company as a whole.”
Top-Notch Service and Customization
Some other ways REV Powersports is staying on top of its growth is by continuously innovating aspects of the dealership. Whether it’s marketing, scheduling, assembly or other dealer tasks, Johnson says he and his team are always trying new methods optimize their business.
For example, REV Powersports has a custom Midnight Edition design package that they can put on any of their Segways. This package features a black-on-black paint scheme across the entire vehicle, cool wheels and tires, as well as lights all over the side-by-side to make it stand out at night. It’s just the sort of unique and eye-catching customization that shows the possibilities of what can be done to a Segway UTV.
“Some people’s minds, they may think [the stock side-by-side] is the coolest side-by-side they’ve ever seen, but if they can’t see the potential of what the machine could be … we like to take that out of the equation, and we just present it,” says Johnson. “We here at REV Powersports are passionate about taking these things and making them cool — in Segway’s case, cooler than they are out of the box.”
The service department that gives the Segway UTVs their new looks is essential to REV Powersports. Not only is the department making the rides look stunning, but it’s also able to work on any repair or maintenance task. No matter the job, REV Powersports’ service department is renowned in Jackson and the surrounding area.
“We established this business for six years prior to picking up Segway based solely off of our service repair and accessory work,” claims Johnson. “It kind of makes us unique as a dealer in that respect. We have established our reputation in the area for our service department.”
Along for the Ride
On top of the service department being a primary business driver, REV Powersports also drives sales by hosting frequent riding events. This past September, the dealership hosted a Segway ride at Rainbow Falls near the state line between Tennessee and Alabama. There were 17 Segways that showed up for the ride, along with rides from multiple other brands.
Johnson says these riding events are good ways for people to experience what Segway UTVs are all about, adding, “People get out there and get to ride the Segways, get to see what they’re about, and it really lands that connection with certain people.”
More importantly, these riding events are a great way to bring the powersports community together.
“We call our rides ‘family reunions,’ because we want to treat every customer that comes into the store as a family member, not just the number,” explains Johnson. “We want them to feel appreciated. We want them to feel like a VIP every time they come in here.”
Moving forward, REV Powersports wants to keep promoting their dealership and the Segway brand by attending more industry events. Johnson also wants to continue pushing the envelope with Segway modifications, like the aforementioned Midnight Edition.
The dealership also wants to enter next year’s King of the Hammers off-road race with a Segway Super Villain that’s prepared in-house. Johnson is eager to get new Segway vehicles competing in higher level races to showcase their capabilities.
Above all else, Johnson says the support from his family and his good employee base at REV Powersports make his former hobby – and now everyday job – enjoyable. Of course, he’s also thrilled about the continued partnership with Segway. “The exciting part is that we have the ability to grow with Segway as a company,” he concludes. “They’re willing to give us the support that we need to make stuff happen and to kind of move the needle.”
