Founded in 1970 by Dennis Laidig. Denny Laidig is just like you , a Rider at heart. He started his dirt bike business to give Riders value, along with an unparalleled level of customer service that he hopes will make you not only a believer but a lifelong customer as well. Denny has the passion to instruct , guide and inherently know how to maintain your KTM. Our combined goal is to make your KTM the best KTM possible for you our valued KTM Rider.
Denny opened Laidig Cycle in 1970
The first franchises obtained by Denny were Monark, DKW, Sachs and CZ. Since 1970 Denny has also been a franchised dealer for Penton, Montesa, Bultaco, Maico, Rokon, Hodaka, Can-am, Ski-Doo, Moto Guzzi, Ducati, Cagiva and Husquavarna.
In 1975 Denny’s wife, Candy joined her husband Denny in the business and added some services. For one a mail order business for the parts inventories. Along with this service we added national advertising.
In 1990 , we made some really big changes. We cancelled our franchises with every bike company except KTM. This means from that date forward we no longer carried parts for other dirt bikes.
We are now an exclusive KTM Dealer.
We changed our name to Holeshot Engineering.
You need KTM parts? We got ‘em . Holeshot is the KTM dealer who stocks KTM parts! No other dealer stocks the parts that Holeshot has for your KTM’s! Our secure web site offers you the advantage of ordering your parts 24/7.
www.ktmamerica.com . We ship your parts the same day 99% of the time. Walking into our conveniently located KTM Dealership is just like walking into a wonderful candy store . Everything here is KTM Orange and every wall glows with gear and accessories for your KTM. Holeshot KTM is a destination! WOW ! is a word we hear everyday.
Holeshot backs up the KTM parts inventory with our Orange Certified KTM Service Department. Denny is the first Orange Certified KTM Master Tech to graduate from KTM U in North America! KTM Techs are required to update their education at KTM U every 3 three years. That is not good enough for Denny. He is front and center at KTM U every year . “ The way I have this figured is if I can’t learn at least one new thing each year at these classes I am not paying attention” says Denny of his obsession with KTM Service. Eric Wright is our second KTM Certified Master Tech and David Price rounds out our service team as our KTM Certified Orange Tech.
Holeshot is one of the few KTM dealerships who are listed as KTM Elite Dealers.HOLESHOT ENGINEERING IS THE ONLY CERTIFIED KTM ORANGE MASTER TECH SERVICE CENTER IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF OHIO.
Keeping our KTM Riders happy and offering the best KTM retail store is our goal. Being the best KTM Dealer for our Riders is our passion.
Holeshot ships parts every day. We are a full line KTM Service Dealer. Holeshot has every KTM bike from the awesome 50cc through the complete dirt line up of 2 stroke and 4 stroke KTM and the KTM ATV’s. The KTM Adventure line , Super Moto , Super Duke and the most sought after KTM the 950 Super Enduro.
Every year you will find us at the KTM demo rides at Mid Ohio and Crow’s Canyon. We are mindful of these tough economic times. America’s economy is facing unprecedented challenges. We realize that many of our Riders and families are as well.
We know your family is now looking for more value than ever before, and that’s what we intend to deliver . During the upcoming months, each and every Holeshot associate will be focusing their efforts on the things that are the most important to our KTM Riders with regard to their need for
FUN.
Whenever your family needs KTM parts or service for the normal maintenance of your KTM or for that big ride/race this weekend, we’ll be here for you. In 2011 we are holding regular monthly Open House Events. We plan on renting a bus to take our Riders to special bike events. Sign in to be included in our emailed newsletters for information.Visit our online site
www.ktmamerica.com …there are some exciting monthly sales specials. Time is money too. That is why when you place your KTM parts or service order in ours hands we double check the part numbers you have given to us. We double check the quantities that you have ordered. Sometimes a repair takes more than one count of a part number to do the job at hand. We make sure you know this with a friendly return phone call. We sell service repair manuals on a CD. This saves you labor costs. You can purchase the parts and do the required labor yourself.
We are here for you for the long haul. KTM Riders can count on Holeshot ! After all We are your KTM Parts Lifesavers.
Articles:
OWNERS
Dennis and Candace Laidig
BUSINESS PROFILE
“We are orange bleeders through and through,” said Candace Laidig, who co-owns Holeshot KTM with her husband Dennis (Denny) Laidig. That would be clear to anyone who set foot inside the couple’s Northeast Ohio dealership. Swathed in orange and silver, the 2,400-square-foot boutique is an ode to its product line. Though the company is working in a small space, it does big business out of its parts and accessories department with an extensive online store and a mail order parts business, which it advertises nationally. A motocross and Hare Scrambles rider with a machinist background, Denny Laidig started Holeshot in 1970 because he wasn’t able to get the service and care he wanted from existing local dealers. Candace Laidig joined the business in 1975 when the two were married. Denny Laidig has put his technical background to use at his dealership and for KTM, servicing KTM bikes at many riding events. He was the first Master Orange Tech for KTM North America. Candace Laidig specializes in the sales, finance and advertising part of the business. Holeshot KTM lies at the intersection of three major highways, making it easy for the dealership’s riders to get to the store. The store is an exclusive KTM full-line dealership and the two companies have a strong relationship. “KTM USA headquarters are located less than one hour from our door,” Candace Laidig said. “Denny and I have grown up with most of the people who work in Amherst (Ohio) at KTM.”
GREATEST CONCERN
Little expenses can add up quickly. “The expense of everything is a great concern for everyone right now,” Candace Laidig said. At Holeshot KTM, a lot of expenses are incurred with its parts business. Every year, the dealership averages more than $40,000 in shipping charges sending parts across the country, sometimes for a rush order. The company also racks up expenses getting credit cards accepted. One thing Holeshot KTM has learned is that credit card processing companies charge merchants higher fees for credit cards that have points or airline miles attached to them. To avoid credit card fraud, which has become a concern for many consumers, Holeshot KTM only ships its products to the card’s billing address.
WHAT’S HOT
For Holeshot’s off-road enthusiasts, the two-stroke 300 XC-W has been the model of choice recently. On the street side of things, the dealership has received positive response for KTM’s 990 Super Duke. Anticipation is high at the dealership for the forthcoming RC8.
CUSTOMER BUYING TRENDS
Online retailing is where more customers are turning for the ease and convenience of it and Holeshot KTM has a pretty good corner on the niche it feels it can fill. “We are seeing more and more riders using the Internet to purchase their KTM parts,” Candace Laidig said. “Our riders like the ease of ordering their parts from the comfort of home. We make it easy to place that order and stay on track for (a customer’s) busy day.” Holeshot KTM plans to launch an online newsletter at the beginning of July to drive even more consumers to its Web site. The dealership’s Web site is user friendly and eye-catching thanks to the help of the Laidig’s son, who is a Web design specialist.
PARTS AND SERVICE
“We started our online store around 1998,” Candace Laidig said. “Long before the Internet, we were strong in parts sales. We found that most dealers cannot afford to stock parts, but all riders need their parts yesterday. So there was our niche.” Holeshot KTM’s service department is home to three KTM certified Orange Techs, two of whom are Master Orange Techs.
PROMOTIONAL HOME RUNS
“For each of our parts orders that we shop out, we include LifeSavers candy,” Candace Laidig said. “Why? We advertise that Holeshot is your KTM parts Life Saver. The candy gets a chuckle. I can’t tell you how many times riders say, ‘Now don’t forget the LifeSavers’ when they place their orders with me.”
WORDS OF ADVICE
“I would say do not be afraid to make a living. Do not think you are buying friendships or loyalty by extending credit or lowering prices to riders,” Candace Laidig said. “There is nothing evil about selling at retail. We are retailers. We are not discounters.”
Another article about Holeshot:
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Holeshot KTM – Akron, OH – June 30, 2008
July 21, 2008
Filed under
Denny Laidig had a problem.
Laidig is the top technician and owner at Holeshot KTM, a KTM-only dealership in Akron, Ohio. He has been wrenching for more than 30 years and is an Orange-certified KTM Master Tech.
His mechanical skills had such a reputation, customers and fellow mechanics from near and far would call and want to discuss their service problems with him. While Laidig wanted to be helpful, the time he was spending on the phone was cutting into the time he was in the shop billing labor hours.
“We’d have guys that come in with a bike from someplace else, wanting to pick my brain,” Laidig said. “That costs me $75-$100 depending on how long they talk. What’s in it for me to help out during business hours?”
Luckily, Laidig has found a way to help these customers, make some additional money and build goodwill without losing shop time.
Holeshot KTM has set up a service helpline through Ingenio.com, formerly Keen.com. The site offers public access to advice from professionals in a number of industries.
“We are the specialist in our field,” said Candace Laidig, Denny Laidig’s wife and Holeshot KTM co-owner.
People with KTM motorcycle or ATV service issues who would like to get Denny Laidig’s advice can visit the site and arrange a call for any evening during the week. He has made himself available to take such calls from 7-11 p.m.
Calling costs $2 per minute. For that fee, Denny Laidig can talk as long as people want. Since Holeshot KTM gets $1.20 for each minute he is on the phone (a 60 percent cut), the company comes out about the same as its $70 an hour shop rate, without using up shop hours.
The dealership signed up for the service in early June and has only started to publicize it. The company added a link to its Web site during the first week in July and plans to add the Web address to all its fliers and direct mail pieces.
“Ingenio is like a next step to superior service, that is how we are thinking about this,” Candace Laidig said.
The couple started the Web account at the urging of Candace Laidig’s sister, a relationship therapist who has been a long-time site user.
“For years she has said to me ‘Why don’t you try Ingenio?’ ” Candace Laidig said. “ ‘People will pay for your time. Do you really think any professional gives their knowledge away? People have been making appointments to see “specialists” for generations. What is so different about your industry?’ ”
An early source
Many years ago, Denny Laidig actually paid attention during service schools he attended, while his classmates focused more on having a good time outside the classroom. This was before the schools tested attendees to see if they took any knowledge away from the time they spent learning.
When the other attendees returned home and were confronted with the very problems they had just covered during training and couldn’t remember what to do, they gave Denny Laidig a call.
He helped them out and it was a practice he carried over to customers and non-customers alike.
“We wanted to answer everyone’s questions every time, all the time,” Candace Laidig said. “Then we would leave here at 9 p.m. or later and both say, ‘You know, we didn’t get anything done today!’ These questions didn’t translate into sales or money.”
Holeshot KTM’s Web specialist was able to quickly set up the mini site on Ingenio.com once the Laidigs decided they wanted to give it a try. The Holeshot KTM Ingenio portal outlines Denny Laidig’s qualifications, states the rate per minute and asks callers to be prepared with questions when they call. Consumers can make an appointment anytime on the site to talk with Denny Laidig in the evening.
About the account
To ask questions through Ingenio, people can visit the Web site and set up an account, which includes giving out credit card information so consumers are charged when they make the call. To connect with Denny Laidig, they call a toll-free number and enter an extension number specific to Holeshot KTM. Ingenio takes care of the financial side of things, sending the Laidigs a check every month for the amount they earned. Though they haven’t seen a check yet, the Laidigs are hopeful Ingenio will be another profit center for the dealership.
“This is like growing a new branch of our retail business,” Candace Laidig said. “We just didn’t know what to do. Do we stop taking care of the riders, who put their trust in us to fix their KTM bikes, and talk our days away? Do we try to figure out a solution? We thought this was fair to us as a dealer and to the riders.”
The Laidigs aim to build even more customer goodwill with the service. With the Ingenio helpline and its regular service center, Holeshot is always aiming to get riders back out on the road or trail instead of in the garage. The couple is hoping people will respond to the specialist aspect of the advice Denny Laidig is offering and are willing to invest in the information he has to share.
“Time will tell if this is the next great idea,” Candace Laidig said. “We were the first KTM dealer with a full-blown Web site. Denny was the first KTM-certified master tech in North America. What can we do next? What new path can we travel to be the best KTM dealer we can be? We are one of the oldest KTM dealerships. For us, old doesn’t translate into stagnation. We are constantly changing and adapting to this industry. Personalized custom service is something our riders deserve.”
Since this was written we have changed it up a bit and now KTM Riders can access us in real time directly from the front page of our KTM web site.
Simply go to www.ktmamerica.com and click on the right of the page ’live support’ and follow the prompts to talk with us in real time .
