OPE DEALER COUNCIL

The Outdoor Power Equipment Dealer Council is a collaborative and representative body that brings together dealerships specializing in the sales, service, and distribution of outdoor power equipment such as lawn mowers, chainsaws, leaf blowers, and other similar tools and machinery. The primary purpose of the council is to facilitate communication, cooperation, and mutual support among dealers in the industry.

The OPE Dealer Council serves as a platform for OPE dealers to share their expertise, insights, and challenges, and to collectively address issues affecting their businesses and the industry as a whole. The council has strong ties with the North American Equipment Dealers Association and may also seek to engage government agencies, and other stakeholders to advocate for the interests of outdoor power equipment dealers. This can involve participating in industry conferences, trade shows, and lobbying efforts to promote dealer-friendly policies, regulatory changes, or initiatives that support the growth and sustainability of the industry.

The council will meet a few times a year, either in person or virtually, to discuss topics such as market trends, industry developments, product innovations, customer preferences, pressing issues and business strategies. These discussions allow dealers to stay informed about the latest industry updates, exchange best practices, and learn from one another’s experiences. The council will help identify areas of improvement, address common concerns, and provide feedback to manufacturers and suppliers of outdoor power equipment.

The Dealer Council may collaborate with manufacturers and suppliers to provide input on product design, features, pricing, and marketing strategies. By sharing their knowledge and insights, council members can influence the direction and priorities of the manufacturers, ensuring that the products and services meet the needs and expectations of the end customers.

Overall, the OPE Dealer Council serves as a united voice for dealerships in the industry, fostering collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and collective action. By working together, dealers can enhance their individual businesses, strengthen the industry as a whole, and ultimately provide better products and services to their customers.

Benefits of Joining NAEDA

Jim Herbert

Bud Herbert Motors Inc.

Jason Huber

Central Equipment

Mike Gillum

Gillum’s Service & Repair, Inc.

Sharon Killian Radke

Killian’s Hardware

Mike Gillum & Jim Herbert

Gillum’s Service & Repair, Inc. | Bud Herbert Motors Inc.

Outdoor Power Equipment Dealer Council

Ken Weingartz

Ken Weingartz

Chairman
Weingartz Supply Co.,
Utica, Michigan

Brands Represented: Cub Cadet, Toro, Exmark, Honda, John Deere, Mean Green, Ventrac, Stihl, RedMax, Echo, Kubota, and other allied lines.

Bio

Weingartz has six locations in Michigan and was founded in 1945.  Weingartz is proud to be third generation family owned.  Major lines include Exmark, Toro, Cub Cadet, Stihl, Kubota, John Deere and Boss, amongst many other brands. Ken is the president of Weingartz.

Jim Herbert

Jim Herbert

Vice Chairman
Bud Herbert Motors Inc.
Cincinnati, Ohio

Brands Represented: John Deere, Exmark, Honda, Mean Green, Ariens, Stihl, Boss, and other allied lines.

Bio

Jim Herbert is the Dealer principal and president of Bud Herbert Motors Inc., a third-generation OPE dealership with 2 locations in Cincinnati, OH. Herbert graduated from Xavier University in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurial studies.  He began working full-time at the family dealership the following Spring.   Along with John Deere, they represent Exmark, Stihl, and Honda. 

Herbert began his service to the OPE industry as a dealer council member with OMEDA eventually working his way up to vice president of their advisory board where he was instrumental in their consolidation with NEADA.

Herbert has been married to his wife Cyndi for 22 years. They have four children, Rowan, Briar, Leo & Lorelei.  During their free time, he and his family enjoy volunteering at St Catharine of Sienna church where they have been members for 20 years.

Aubie Campbell

Aubie Campbell

Campbell’s Lawn Equipment
Forest Park, Georgia

Brands Represented: Exmark, Gravely, Grasshopper, Honda, Scag, Toro, Walker, Stihl, & other allied lines.

Bio

Multi Line consumer & commercial power equipment retailer serving the southside of metro Atlanta with 2 locations since 1974

Sharon Killian Radke

Sharon Killian Radke

Killian’s Hardware
Hickory, North Carolina

Brands Represented: Toro, Echo, Stihl, Cub Cadet, Husqvarna, Excel Trailers, and other allied brands.

Bio

Sharon Killian Radke is the third-generation owner of Killians Hardware in Hickory, NC. Killians, founded in 1953, is a family-owned and operated Power Equipment Dealership and Hardware store featuring products from Toro, Ventrac, Cub Cadet, Echo, and Stihl. Sharon is very active in day-to-day operations in the business and serves on numerous boards in the industry which allows her to stay knowledgeable and keep her business running top-notch. Sharon and her husband, Mark, have four children and five grandchildren. In her spare time, she enjoys being at her beach home in Beaufort, SC.

 

Scott Jardine

Scott Jardine

Arns Equipment LTD
Calgary, Canada

Brands Represented: Ariens, Cub Cadet, Gravely, Honda, Toro, Walker, Echo, Stihl, Yamaha, and other allied brands.

Bio

Scott Jardine is third-generation leader at Arn’s Equipment.  Arn’s is a single-location Outdoor Power Equipment dealership founded in 1946, featuring Ariens, Bily Goat, Cub Cadet, Honda, Stihl, and Toro products.  Arn’s is located in Calgary, AB.

Scott grew up in the business and has held many roles over the years.  He took over as President from his father in 2000 and has overseen significant growth and expansion, including adding a distribution division and an e-commerce store.

Scott and his wife Nancy have three grown children and one grandson.

Stacey English

Stacey English

Louisville Outdoor Turf Products
Lexington, Kentucky

Brands represented: Wright, Hustler Turf, Big Dog Mowers, Exmark, Boss, RedMax, Simplicity, Snapper Pro, Stihl, and other allied lines.

Bio

Stacey English is the Owner/CEO of Louisville Outdoor Turf Products and Shelbyville Outdoor Turf Products.  Stacey grew up in the outdoor power equipment business, beginning with working for her father’s tractor dealership.  After graduating from college Stacey began her career working for John Deere Company as a credit analyst, product specialist, and ultimately a Territory Sales Manager.  In 2010 she spent time training Case New Holland international aftermarket staff.  She and her husband, Ryan, founded LOTP in 2014.  They opened their second location in Spring of 2023.

Andy More

Andy More

More Farm Stores
Columbia City, Indiana

Brands Represented: Toro, Bad Boy, Walker, Boss, Stihl, Trailers, Kubota, and other allied lines.

Bio

Andy is the fourth-generation owner of More Farm Store with 4 locations in Indiana as Kubota, TORO, Badboy, Landpride, STIHL, & Landmaster dealerships.  He has served on Kubota’s National Dealer Advisory Board, TORO’s National Dealer Advisory Council, and several other non-profit boards.  Andy is excited to be a part of NAEDA’s OPE Council with hopes of helping improve communication between dealers and manufacturers.  He has appreciated everything that NAEDA and the former MAERA have done for his dealership over the years and is excited that they are getting involved in OPE.

Jason Huber

Jason Huber

Central Equipment
Lexington, Kentucky

Brands Represented: Cub Cadet, DR Power, Exmark, Ferris, Honda, Hustler, Krone, Kubota, Stihl, and other allied lines.

Bio

Jason Huber, with a 27-year background in business-to-business sales, marketing, and management, with a proven ability to develop a client base and consistently achieve solid sales results is the President of Central Equipment Company in Lexington Kentucky.  Central Equipment, with its 60+ employees, is an Agriculture, Outdoor Power Equipment, and Construction Equipment Servicing dealership that features brands Kubota, Exmark, Stihl, Cub Cadet, Ferris, Wright, Boss Plows, Land Pride, Honda, and others.  Over the years Jason has built a strong technical background with in-depth product knowledge to help identify customer needs and concerns, recommend solutions, and has become a trusted customer resource to our dealership’s partners.

Over the past several years Jason has served on numerous outdoor power manufacturer’s dealer principal panels, currently sitting as the President of the Kubota National Dealership Advisory Board, Kubota Southeast Division Dealer Board, and the National Equipment Dealer Association OPE Board.  While serving on these boards, Jason has assisted these manufacturers on multiple product prototype projects, dealer programming updates, and education on digital marketing and conversion tracking at the dealer level in comparison to traditional manufacturing marketing.

Jason is also a business partner at Dealers Digital which is a digital marketing firm that specializes in website design and digital marketing for 200+ OPE dealers throughout the United States.  Jason and the team at Dealers Digital are hyper-focused on dealer conversions and assisting dealers in selling more equipment versus large budget spends with little return on investment.

Lance Ralston

Lance Ralston

Voss Brothers Sales & Rental, Inc.
Powell, Ohio

Brands Represented: John Deere, Exmark, Cub Cadet, Honda, Stihl, Mahindra, and other allied lines.

Bio

Lance Ralston is the General Manager of Voss Brothers Sales & Rentals, a three-store outdoor power equipment dealership located in Central Ohio. Lance graduated from Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural and Construction Systems Management and has over 20 years of experience in the industry. Founded in 1989, Voss Brothers has grown to 3 locations in Powell, Sunbury, and Marysville, Ohio representing Cub Cadet, Exmark, Honda, John Deere (Powell location), Mahindra (Sunbury location), and Stihl.

Mike Gillum

Mike Gillum

Gillum’s Service & Repair, Inc.
Ashland, Kentucky

Brands Represented: Cub Cadet, Simplicity, Exmark, Ferris, Husqvarna, Stihl, Echo, and other allied lines.

Bio

Michael Gillum is the owner and operator of Gillum’s Service & Repair, INC., a single-store dealership of outdoor power equipment and accessories founded in 1994. His passion for the business started at the early age of 16 when he was first employed at a hardware/ lawn and garden store. Michael grew his passion for repairing outdoor lawn equipment, and after 8.5 years at the age of 23 Michael purchased the lawn and garden side of the business and grew it into what is now known as Gillum’s Service & Repair, INC. Michael, his wife Tina of 31 years, and their two sons Cameron, and Hunter are looking forward to the next few years as they transition ownership from Michael to Cameron. Michael likes to spend his free time participating in Jiu Jitsu, boating, and spending time with his family.

Scott Muehlhauser

Scott Muehlhauser

Scott’s Power Equipment
Bridgetown, Missouri

Brands Represented: Ferris, Snapper, Simplicity, Toro, Mean Green, EGO, Stihl, Boss, RedMax, and other allied brands.

Bio

Scott Muehlhauser is the President and sole owner of Scott’s Power Equipment, Inc., a power equipment dealership with 3 stores in the St. Louis area. Scott started his career in the industry in 1973 as a landscaper. In 1977, he opened his own landscape business which he sold in 1982. For the next 10 years, he worked for a major landscape company and headed the lawn care division. In 1993, Scott saw the need to remain in the industry by helping other landscape contractors. After a career in sales, he opened his first Scott’s Power Equipment, Inc. in 2001. Scott has been a major contributor to the landscape industry for over 43 years. He has served as the president of the OPE Council, a board member for the NAEDA (North American Equipment Dealership Association), and a key advocate for the continuation of the H-2B program.

Scott has been married to his wife, Nan for 45 years and has two children Julie, who is active in the business, and Josh, and several grandchildren. He enjoys spending time with his family and being at the farm. He’s an avid hunter and fisherman.  

Richard Ogawa

Richard Ogawa

Gardenland Power Equipment
Campbell, California

Brands Represented: Exmark, Gravely, Echo, Stihl, Honda, Mean Green, Husqvarna, Milwaukee, and other allied lines.

Bio

Principal CEO at Gardenland Power Equipment & Co-Founder and CEO of Towa Industries Inc.

Richard Ogawa, a seasoned serial entrepreneur with over 20 years of C-Suite and entrepreneurial expertise, is a market-leader in the OPE space. Growing up in his family’s Outdoor Power Equipment store, he fused his entrepreneurial drive with a commitment to empowering the industry with high-quality products, technology, and service. Under his tenure, Richard has grown Gardenland Power Equipment into a $13 million business as the #1 Rated Outdoor Power Equipment Retailer in Northern California.

Richard’s passion for innovation led him to co-found Towa Industries Inc., where he is pioneering transformative battery and power management technology, from on-site & mobile charging solutions to gas-to-battery conversion products, enabling landscapers to shift toward sustainable practices with battery-powered products.

Melvin Sauder

Ebling’s Service Plus
Myerstown, Pennsylvania

Brands Represented: Cub Cadet, Exmark, Scag, Honda, Husqvarna, Walker, Stihl, Kioti, Woods, and other allied lines.

Bio

Melvin Sauder serves as President of Ebling’s Service Plus, LLC, a two-store dealership of outdoor power equipment in eastern Pennsylvania founded in 1943. He joined the company in 2010 as a service technician and served in various roles before moving to his current position in 2020. Melvin, his wife Karen of 21 years, and their family of eight children live in Myerstown, PA. In addition, Melvin serves on the board of several local non-profit organizations and as a partner of a small niche transportation company. He enjoys being a hobby eBay seller.

CONTACT US

United States: (800) 762-5616
Canada: (800) 661-2452

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