Out of the town of Princeton on a windy road that leads to paradise sits a snowmobile dealership. It is alone. No other businesses surround it. Instead, it is a business run on something more than location.
Reichert Sales and Services is a family owned and operated business that runs on integrity. That integrity has led the Ski-Doo dealership to flourish and not just in the eyes of locals, but in the eyes of both the provincial office and the federal office. At their annual open house event a new title emerged for the business that could. “King of Spring” is an honour given to a dealership that exceeds its predicted sales number for the following year. District sales manager for Ski-Doo and Sea-Doo of Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. , Gerry Dusessoy explained the contest. “Spring sales from the end of February until April 15 are monitored by us. In that period, we give each dealer a target to hit based on their gross sales. This year Reicherts over-achieved their target by over 137 per cent. This is why they captured first prize. None of the dealers knew who won it until today,” Dusessoy continued. “I wanted to surprise the Reichert family. King of Spring went to the right people. It is good and well deserved. No one who is at this remote of a location does as good as these guys.”
Besides being awarded the title “King of Spring,” Reicherts received some other good news. They are rated number one on the CSI (customer service index). “It is tough to achieve this top spot,” said Rod Arnold district sales manager for Canada’s Can-Am division. “To excel in both sales and service is really significant. These guys are good at both.” Dusessoy is based out of Vernon and Arnold is based out of Abbotsford. Dusessoy has known the Reichert family for a long time. “Year after year it amazes me how well they do,” he bragged.
Arnold concurred. “This is not easy to achieve. The Reicherts should be really proud of their reputation.”
With 19 dealerships in B.C. and approximately 350 across Canada, Reicherts have shown the rest of the dealers that it takes more than sales to reach the top of the chain. For the last four months, they’ve been number one and show no signs of stopping. Their open house was swarming with outdoor enthusiasts all day long. “We were scheduled to open this morning at 9 a.m.,” stated Marg Reichert, “but people started showing up at eight. It has been busy ever since.”
After the open house, many Tulameenies head to the Tulameen Community Hall for some more fun. The Timberline Cruisers, the local snowmobile club, hold an annual evening of fun at the hall. It is their big fundraiser for the year. “It’s always a full house,” said Tulameen resident Nadine McEwen. “There are lots of door prizes and it is lots of fun.”
Timberline member Chris Hassell was at Reicherts renewing membership and encouraging new members to join. He said the Timberline Cruisers name was resurrected after it went into hiatus and is now really doing well. “It is a good club and we have a lot of fun.”
With a piece of paradise just out the window and a vibrant snowmobiling community packing the house, Reichert Sales and Service has little to worry about. One thing they have been focusing on is avalanche safety. They encourage all snowmobilers to sign up for training and to purchase and carry the appropriate gear
with them while out having fun. They are offering another avalanche course in January through snowmobile program coordinator Carole Savage from the Canadian Avalanche Centre.
Marg, Ed and their sons, Bob, Tom and Bill have all spent years playing outdoors and operating the family business. Together their family has grown and the sport of sledding has changed. Reichert Sales and Service offers ATVs, snowmobiles and tons of gear. They are going strong and have the support of their customers backing them all the way. “It is nice to see all these people here,” Marg said at their Saturday event. “We enjoy our customers and do our best to keep them all satisfied.”
Reicherts sells Ski-Doo snowmobiles and Can-Am ATVs and sidecar units.