Northern Wholesale SuperShow Opens with Enthusiastic Vibe

Brendan Aukerman, MORryde aftermarket sales, SuperShow addresses dealers during his comapny’s seminar at the Northern Wholesale. (Photos: Jim Mac/RVBusiness)

RED WING, Minn. – With Minnesota temperatures reaching a balmy 21 degrees and light snow covering the grounds of the Treasure Island Casino and Event Center, Northern Wholesale’s 2023 SuperShow opened Wednesday (Dec. 7) with an enthusiastic crowd of dealers and supplier vendors.

Dean Krutchen, director of Sales and Marketing for Northern Wholesale, told RVBusiness that he expects record-setting numbers, estimating over 300 dealer personnel and over 100 suppliers for the two-day event.

This is the 36th Annual SuperShow and, given the location, many North Central U.S. dealerships use the event to educate their management and service personnel. The first day saw a full slate of training consisting of half- or one-hour seminars running non-stop, except for a lunch break, from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Supplier companies exhibiting at the show includes: Midland Power, Xantrex, Ultra-Fab, Winegard, Stromberg-Carlson, Lippert, Progressive Manufacturing, Walex, Arterra, RVIA/RVTA, CURT, Adco, Powermax, Demco, RV Designer, Dometic, Roadmaster, RV Partfinder, Hughes, Pace International, Valterra, LaSalle, Blue Ox, Samlex, MORryde, Starbrite, AP Products, Pullrite, and Southwire.

According to many of those vendors, seminars were well attended, and dealers were eager to hear more about new aftermarket products. Simply based on crowd size, anything related to towing, electronics or electrical was especially in demand.

Wednesday evening featured a Booth Preview “soft open,” offering dealers a first look at the displays.

Jeff Hostetler, Territory Manager, Tom Manning & Associates

Given the economic uncertainty, no one knew what to expect.

“We were a little cautious about what to expect because in talking with dealers, we knew inventory levels were high,” said Jeff Hostetler, territory manager for Tom Manning & Associates, the Michigan-based manufacturers’ rep firm. “However, to our surprise, we have seen that the activity has been very good. We’re encouraged by what we’re seeing.”

Hostetler noted that Northern Wholesale opened up pre-orders ahead of the show, and those orders were more robust than last year.

“In talking with some of the dealer principals here at the show, they tell me that they are looking for new ways to generate revenue outside of unit sales,” Hostetler continued. “One easy way, they have found, is to get the customer to add accessories. So, if we’re selling fewer units, we want to try to make up for those dollars and margins by upselling some accessories to go along with that unit. That’s what many dealers are focusing on, and that’s helping the aftermarket.”

Overall, Hostetler said the dealers’ attitude is upbeat. Although they probably are not selling as many units as last year, he added, they’re looking for new opportunities to generate more revenue, such as accessories, to supplement those unit sales.

Source: https://rvbusiness.com/northern-wholesale-supershow-opens-with-enthusiastic-vibe/