New Jersey dealer responds to customers’ generator needs

For Gary Peccarelli, general manager, of Pompton Sport Center in Pompton Plains, N.J., there was no calm before the Hurricane Sandy storm. Since Oct. 24, the Wednesday before the hurricane hit, his dealership has been selling generators faster than he can get them in.

Before the storm began, Peccarelli had about 75 generators in stock, but by Friday, Oct. 26, they were all sold. That Saturday, the dealership had more than 250 calls from people looking for more. Since then, Peccarelli has ordered 165 more generators. The 50 that came on Sunday, Oct. 28 in the first emergency shipment had to be unloaded by hand by Peccarelli and friends at a location outside the dealership, as the store was being prepared for possible flooding. Another 40 were lost until this past Sunday, when Peccarelli tracked them down to a truck depot in northwest New Jersey, where he and his son drove a truck to pick them up. The dealership has been operating its lights and computers through generator power since the storm hit last Monday, Oct. 29.

Luckily, the dealership was not damaged, the phones are working, and the business is keeping busy enough with generator sales. Peccarelli also reported that electricity, heat, phone and Internet services returned to his home late Sunday night, almost a week after the storm hit.

Also reeling from the storm is Yamaha, Suzuki, CanAm, Victory of Mineola on Long Island, which Powersports Business reported on last week.

The dealership reported late Friday night that its electricity, Internet and phone services had been restored, and business was operating during regular hours. The store expected a limited shipment of generators Monday and was asking customers to reserve those in advance.