Honda of Lubbock and West Texas/Powersports Development – Lubbock, TX – July 3, 2006

CONTACT
Honda of Lubbock
6207 19th St.
Lubbock, Texas, 79407
(806) 793-2551
Family PowerSports of San Angelo
704 N. Bell St.
San Angelo, Texas, 76903
(325) 658-4737
Family PowerSports of Odessa
3506 N. Golder Ave.
Odessa, Texas, 79764
(432) 368-7907
www.hondaoflubbock.com
www.familypowersports.com
OWNER
Morris Baker (and Wade Hoak, Odessa only)
BUSINESS PROFILE
After putting in time at two different dealerships, a stint at Parts Unlimited and as a competitive motocross racer, Morris Baker purchased his first dealership in 1996. That dealership would eventually become Honda of Lubbock. Today, Baker owns three dealerships. Honda of Lubbock is also the name of the umbrella organization Baker owns that holds Honda of Lubbock and Family PowerSports of San Angelo. West Texas Powersports Development, which Baker owns along with Wade Hoak, oversees Family PowerSports of Odessa. Between the three locations, Baker sells Honda, AUSA, KYMCO, Yamaha, Suzuki, ETON America, Polaris and Kawasaki products. Those products include ATVs, motorcycles, scooters, utility vehicles and personal watercraft. Honda of Lubbock and West Texas Powersports Development employ approximately 70 to 75 people, Baker estimated.
GREATEST CONCERN
“The rising expenses in operating a dealership,” Baker said, adding, “to the level that a manufacturer expects you to.
“Margins aren’t getting greater, but back-end expenses are.”
WHAT’S HOT?
Sport bikes have been the hot sellers this spring at Baker’s dealerships. He attributes their popularity to their looks and to exposure, both on national television and in extreme videos.
CUSTOMER BUYING TRENDS
“They’ve remained stable the past two or three years,” Baker said about his customer base. “One thing we do in the off-road area is that we lease a ranch for customers to ride on. There is a trail network, campsites with electricity and a river. It’s a real nice place to ride and is close to Lubbock. We’ve had to go to those kind of extremes to control market share and it’s working out well for us.”
PARTS AND SERVICE
In early June, his parts and accessories departments had grown 28 percent so far for the year, Baker said. Having a better inventory with the most current and popular products and installing a regional parts and accessories director for his dealerships were the main catalysts for the growth, Baker said.
PROMOTIONAL HOME RUNS
Honda of Lubbock and Family PowerSports of Odessa hold a semi-annual VIP night that customers have flocked to, Baker said. The dealerships do their best to get the word out about the event, which includes food and large discounts, through postcards and their own quarterly newspaper.
WORDS OF ADVICE
“Provide a high level of service for your customers,” Baker said. “Provide the highest level in your area and you’ll get the sales. People don’t just buy for price.”
— Lisa Young
Interested in having your dealership become a Power Profile??Contact Editor Neil Pascale at npascale@ehlertpublishing.com.