Outdoor Power Equipment (OPE) dealers enjoy all of the benefits of membership in a NAEDA-affiliated association, plus OPE members are represented by the OPE Dealer Council, an official council of NAEDA. The council works on behalf of OPE dealers to improve manufacturer relations, government relations, legislative outcomes, and regulatory concerns at the federal level.

The OPE Dealer Council is made up of dealers who advise NAEDA and its board on issues related to the outdoor power equipment industry. The council is also a sponsor of dealer educational seminars at the annual GIE+EXPO in Louisville, Ky.

The top three priorities of the OPE Dealer Council are to:

1. Establish a NAEDA OPE Industry Relations Task Force that will regularly meet with manufacturers on OPE dealer issues.
2. Explore the development of an integrated Internet and social media network strategy that includes content recommendations that OPE dealers can effectively use for advertising and promotion of a dealer's products and services. This priority also includes working with manufacturers to address the creation of electronic marketing strategies and co-op advertising payments.
3. Address Internet advertising policies of manufacturers that allow unfair competition.

OPE Service Technician Skills/Knowledge Test
NAEDA offers the OPE Service Technician Skills/Knowledge Test to members under a licensing agreement with Ohio State University. This test can help OPE dealers identify qualified individuals who have applied for jobs as service technicians. It is available to association members free of charge. To request it, send an e-mail stating your request to naeda@naeda.com.

OPE Dealer Council Chairman
Scott Muehlhauser

Muehlhauser manages Scott’s Power Equipment, Inc., catering primarily to the commercial and municipal landscape industry. He has been in the OPE industry for over 30 years. Since starting his own business 11 years ago, he has expanded it to four locations, three in Missouri and one in Illinois.

The OPE Dealer Council oversees the respected Power Pro OPE dealer accreditation program. Power Pro is an accreditation program for dealers who sell and service outdoor power equipment. Under the program, dealers who adhere to a universal set of performance standards earn accreditation and use the designation to promote their dealership and build consumer confidence and loyalty.

This program and its standards are designed to identify a full-service dealer who has made a significant investment in facilities, wholegoods, parts, employees, training, tools, business systems, and advertising. The standards in this self-evaluation are used to affirm to consumers that a dealership meets and operates under measurable standards of recognized performance. The program includes guidelines and a self-evaluation form that participating dealers can use to score their dealerships so that they can gauge whether they qualify as a Power Pro dealer.

Download the Power Pro Evaluation form.

Visit http://www.powerprodealer.com/ 

For more information, contact:

Joe Dykes, Director, Member Services