Q&A: Ben Johnson on Meyer Distributing’s RV Sector Growth – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
Meyer Distributing serves several markets, including automotive parts and accessories, Jeep and off-road, contractor, diesel performance and RV and towing. The company serves its customers through 13 warehouses and 94 cross-docks across the U.S. and Canada. During the recent Meyer MegaShow, RVBusiness caught up with Ben Johnson, Category Sales Manager of RV, Towing, Trailer and Marine, to talk about the company’s growth in the RV segment and the recent acquisition of southwest distributor AIM Wholesale.
RVBusiness: Ben, thanks for taking your time out of the busy show. Even though it is early in the day, what are you hearing from your team and dealers?
Johnson: Vendors are enthused and happy. We’ve got dealers who have come and had great times with us and a lot of fun at the seminars. And the vendors have given them a lot of incentive to come down to the show, visiting with them at their booths today, and be in buying moods.
RVB: Can you give us an attendance figure?
Johnson: Sure. Last year was a record-setting show, with slightly over 90 unique dealerships. This year, we’ve got around 140 unique dealers — a 50% increase.
RVB: You’re relatively new in this position. Where did you come from, and what attracted you to the RV side of Meyer?
Johnson: I’ve been with Meyer for seven years, five in our diesel performance category and two in RV. In 2022, the RV category sales manager position came open. My family has owned campers for many years — we have a 40-foot Newmar diesel pusher now — and this is something I wanted to do. The RV category is a lucrative business for us, and I believe I could bring my enthusiasm and competitiveness to the business and grow our relationships with dealers and vendors.
RVB: How has your move to RVs worked out?
Johnson: I think we see a lot of opportunity. When I came into it, our team had 14 individuals; today, we are up to 18. Significantly, we’ve increased our number of dealers and our vendors. Probably the most significant step we have taken is our acquisition of AIM Wholesale in early October 2023. This provided us with market growth, some new vendors, an excellent sales staff and a group of people we got on board with. I think we see a lot of opportunities in 2024 and the years ahead.
RVB: So, what does the future hold for Meyer in the RV segment? Are you still in the acquisition mode?
Johnson: Absolutely! We are passionate about this industry and passionate about what we do. We also thrive on competition, and we love it. Being a private family-run company, we are not going anywhere. We want to compete to be the first call when dealers need orders filled.
RVB: One more question — what would you like the dealer to say when asked what they think about Meyer?
Johnson: Really, the two biggest things we want our dealers to say — and believe — about Meyer is that we are trustworthy and truthful. Trustworthy, so when we say we will work an opportunity for them, we go to the end of the race to finish it and cross the goal line. Truthful is about getting them the right answers to continue their business appropriately. If we can be their trustworthy and truthful distributor, that’s all we could ask for.
