The following story is an excerpt from the 40-page 2017 Rural Lifestyle Dealer Business Trends & Outlook Report. Email Lynn Woolf for a copy of the complete report, lwoolf@lessitermedia.

Dealers across North America are investing in their businesses to support growing sales.

Dealers are committing resources on the sales and service side, with more than 71% of the respondents saying they have salespeople dedicated to the rural lifestyle market. More than 40% employ 6 or more full-time service technicians.

More than half expect to modernize their shop and service departments. About 26% expect to improve their retail space and about 20% will invest in business information systems.

Zero-turn mowers, tractors less than 40 horsepower, rotary cutters, front-end loaders and utility vehicles are the top 5 categories for unit sales increases of 2-8% or more.

Nearly half of dealers say their market has grown 5-19% in the last 5 years. 

(Left) More than 40% of dealerships employ 6 or more full-time service technicians.

(Right) Seven out of every 10 dealers have salespeople dedicated to the rural equipment market.

More than half of the responding dealers say their markets have grown by 5-19% in the last 5 years and almost 13% have seen market growth of 20% or more.

Zero-turn mowers top the list of products for unit sales potential. More than 60% of dealers say zero-turn unit sales will increase 2-8% or more.

More than half of dealers expect to modernize their shop and service departments this year.