Meeting recreational needs

Staying on top of changing trends is the key

Ryan Tomilin, manager of B&F Sales and Service Ltd., knows that adapting to industry advancements and new trends usually brings —Photo courtesy of Ryan Tomilin

by Kirsten Armleder

The health of the powersports industry depends on a variety of factors, including weather and the condition of the local economy. Moreover, to ensure the viability of a business, individual snowmobile, ATV and dirt bike dealers have to constantly stay on top of changing trends. Ryan Tomilin, manager of B&F Sales and Service Ltd. in Grand Forks, knows the importance of recognizing customer demands; his business also faces challenges when it comes to dealing with competition from imported products. “A lot of this stuff is not very safe,” said Tomilin. “I’ve looked at some of the kids’ ATVs and minibikes, and my kid’s life is worth a lot more than that; it’s very poor-quality stuff.” These products are available for bargain prices at many department stores; however, Tomilin said their parts-supply and service is terrible, but it’s cheap and that’s what people are looking at. In this fast-track industry, another major issue affecting business is advancing technology. Giving local meat producers a means of being competitive in the community is on the plate of the agricultural society. One of the main goals of the society at this point is the establishment of a mobile abattoir. The society is currently putting together a business plan that reflects supporting not only the small meat producers but the regional growers as a whole. “You have your new technology coming out basically every six months and it’s hard to keep up,” said Tomilin. “You have to be sending somebody to school several times a year just to keep up on the updates.”

Key Grand Forks contacts

Richmond, BC

PHONE: 1-800-663-2872

Pacific Coastal Airlines Ltd

www.pacificcoastal.com
Grandforks, BC

Unifab Industries Ltd

www.unifab.ca
Grandforks, BC

WD Sheet Metal Ltd.

www.wdsheetmetal.com