Manager Of Categories & Training Discusses Innovation, Practical Application & Legacy At Hershey RV Show
The aftermarket in the RV sector in recent years has become a boon in business because many owners seek to upgrade themselves in terms of older models before purchasing a new class size. This business opportunity has allowed many suppliers to specialize in specific elements where it be mechanical or practical to make the RV or 5th Wheeler experience easier for the consumer. Lippert Components is one of those companies who have steadily grown with the RV resurgence of the past couple years. The Buzz sat down with both Zach Hunt, Category Manager, at the Lippert Tent, as well as Kelly Ross, Manager Of Training, during a break in one of his session to discuss evolving with the industry, practical application and personal connection.
The Buzz: Can you talk about the importance of being at the Hershey RV Show?
Zach Hunt: Well Lippert's impact on the industry has grown tremendously over the years. The impact that we have from dealer to consumer level is becoming so vast that it is extremely important for us to have representation at one of the largest RV shows in the world. [It is important to have] specific product lines here that are being brought to the aftermarket and getting pushed very hard at the dealership levels.
The Buzz: The aftermarket is big because of consistent upgrading…
ZH: Absolutely. Lippert’s concept is to move the needle. That is our whole goal is to bring new innovative products to the marketplace in terms of what customers use, what they need and how to take that camping process and their experience to the next level.
The Buzz: Can you talk about bringing something like the product Flex-Air to market.
ZH: The biggest concept we have...in Lippert from top to bottom...none of us are in business without the consumer going down the road putting the tires on the asphalt. That person is the individuals keeping our industry in a forward push right now. We are moving so quickly but [that is motivated by products] like the Flex Air. The product, when we brought it to market, actually started with a trailer air ride out of the box. Lippert, as a company, came from an agricultural background. We were creating ride corridor solutions for folks… starting in horse trailers as a matter of fact. We would get a horse to a show and it would get a little beat up going down the road. So [the thought became] “If you can’t fix the horse, fix the ride.” The concept we settled on was "Let's fix the cargo and the structural integrity of the box" [which was done] kind of as a by-product. So now the guy driving the rig has a smoother ride. That has kind of evolved from there obviously into the RV marketplace. What we are doing now is trying to move the needle to create ride quality solutions across the board. It doesn't matter what the ride issue is. We have a solution for that problem.
The Buzz: Kelly…sometimes training is just as important as the piece of hardware you’re selling…
Kelly Ross: The training on specific products like the Flex Air, the trailer and air ride systems… [you need to] educate at the dealer level...and those people are comfortable talking about it...[so] they understand what they're solving and how to ask the question properly to the customer. [The point being] the customers don’t know what they don’t know. So when someone is driving down the road, they feel these sensations right? They feel movement in the cab and if the person is trained correctly they can ask the proper questions, they can convey "This is the issue you are having. This is the specific product you need to solve that particular issue." Not necessarily everybody who drives down the road needs a roto-flex or needs a Flex Air. The guy that has a Flex Air hopefully we got him into that product for the right reasons with the right questions asked.
The Buzz: Can you talk about the importance of training people onsite at a show like Hershey?
KR: The webinar could work but [it is] maybe not quite as effective. Face-to-face [is better]. It brings some sort of realness to it. To get across to the students, the best thing we can do today is work on the different components we have out there...show them a couple tricks...and maybe get rid of some of those misconceptions of how this really works and share the real story.
The Buzz: Does that affect how you teach?
KR: How we design the lesson plans is to make it a little more hands on then we have ever had before. We have mock ups today where [the students] are tearing them apart and perhaps putting them back together...finding the easiest way to rebuild it. What they have in front of them is the Schwintek System mock ups...that is the "in raw" system we use. They also use "My RV" which is a tablet based system that is fairly new to the industry. [That way you can see how a system is] wired, how the buss system works and how to program it.
The Buzz: Zach…can you talk about your personal involvement with Flex Air? Your grandfather was involved…
ZH: My grandfather is one of those guys who spends basically every waking hour working on something. He is the busiest man you’ve ever met and he is driven not just to achieve and create a product…he is driven to solve a problem for a person. It is always a personal connection with him to an individual. You have this problem. He can fix it. So having that kind of stimuli as a basis every day for him…that is what drove him to create these kinds of products. We were all off the farm. When he was a young man on his father's farm they used horses to work the ground. They farmed with livestock. For him…and it has morphed into his career...he has had many different businesses…but the ones with Flex Air are the most dear to him. He has the most personal connection with this. And for me, growing up, seeing him and his passion, that alone fueled me. So, for me at this juncture, it is a legacy in my family.
The Buzz: Kelly…can you talk about being at the Hershey RV Show and its importance for you guys.
KR: I think it is important for us to be here because we learn alot of stuff here at the Hershey show...just the technicians...but also walking around and talking to different people from the industry. We are very innovative, as you see from our products and it just helps us continue to be innovative.
Tim Wassberg
A graduate of New York University's Tisch School Of The Arts with degrees in Film/TV Production & Film Criticism, Tim has written for magazines such as Moviemaker, Moving Pictures, Conde Nast Traveler UK and Casino Player. He enjoys traveling and distinct craft beers among other things.
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