Erik Guldager is the New Owner of Cody Talbert Distribution – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
Erik and Kelly Guldager are new owners of Cody Talbert Distribution and are looking forward to working together again. (Photo provided by Erik Guldager)
The new owner of Cody Talbert Distribution, Erik Guldager, wants to focus on building relationships and providing personal service for his customers.
Guldager has over 20 years of experience in the RV industry in different roles and he said he understands how important it is to be able to get the parts needed quickly.
“Being on the other side I know what I liked in a distributor and what I didn’t, and we want to avoid those things,” he said.
Although he may be president of Cody Talbert, which has been around since 2008, he said, “I’m a salesman at the end of the day — that’s what I do.”
He said he saw taking over ownership of Cody Talbert as a “unique opportunity to with a team already in place and put our identity stamp on it” and he’s excited about having his wife, Kelly, involved in the business. They were in business together in the past and he’s looking forward to partnering with her in that way again and to having the potential for bringing their children in if they’re interested.
“We’re going to treat it like a family business and that’s how we’ll treat our customers, too,” he said.
Guldager said there was a time when dealers knew their salespeople and vice versa — they knew about each other’s families, etc. and he feels that personal touch is missing for the most part these days.
“There are other RV distributors like me and being on the vendor side, I saw the respect those RV dealers had for those smaller, local guys,” he said.
Guldager said they’ll be focusing on replacement parts and repair parts.
He’s been talking to and visiting dealers and said, “The question I ask every service manager is, ‘If you had a wish list of 5-10 things that would make your life easier if you were able to get it same day or next day, what is it?’”
He explained that he’s taking those lists and looking for commonalities and then working to get those products in stock.
Guldager shared he’s been telling dealers and service technicians, ‘We’re going to bring in the products you need to repair the coaches in the bay’. No one likes to tear apart a coach and then wait two weeks for the parts you need. ‘Then when we get those items in stock; we’ll shoot you an email to let you know it’s in stock’, keeping the lines of communication open.”
He wants to give the mobile techs in Central Florida a home where they can come to get what they need. He shared within ten miles there are six RV dealers—major players—and 12 service shops. Within 100 miles there are 72 dealers, 60 plus service shops and 65-80 mobile techs.
The emphasis will be on the RV repairs industry in general. Servicing needs vs wants. As he spoke to people at the recent RVIA conference in San Diego, “The overwhelming conversation I had was ‘We need someone out there that has the parts so we can get them’,” he said, adding one person told him, “‘All we want is for someone to know we’re alive and give us customer service.’”
Guldager shared, “I made a promise to myself that no matter what, I’m going to know my customers and they’re going to know me, and it’ll be more than just a business transaction.”
The CodyTalbert website is being revamped but the customer portal has remained operational during the transition.
Guldager shared, “It’s an old company with a new face and we’re going to practice old school basics of sales—know your customers, know what they need, and take care of them.”
CodyTalbert Distribution is located at 2004 Wood Ct., Suite C, Plant City, FL 33563
Customer Service/General Info: (407)397-9610 Email: [email protected]
Source: https://rvbusiness.com/erik-guldager-is-the-new-owner-of-cody-talbert-distribution/
