When you put your heart and soul into a business, you have to love what you do. You don’t do it for the recognition, but when you do get noticed for your good work, it still feels pretty amazing.
That’s why when The Power Shop was named the Region 5 Retailer of the Year by Cub Cadet, the store owners felt very proud, honored and grateful. Diane and Ced Pruitt bought the business 12 yeards ago. Nine years ago, their daughter, Rebekah, and son-in-law, Jarrod, came into the business as well and have taken on important roles in the company. Rebekah has increased the advertising and marketing and they both have worked hard to modernize the parts and computer system, and create an exemplary buying experience for the customer. It’s a true family endeavor. So to be recognized for all they work they have put in was very satisfying.
The local representative, Larry Dean, nominated Power Shop for the recognition. Some of the kind words Dean included in his nomination were:
“The Power Shop does a great job of enhancing the shopping experience for their customers by the full breadth of Cub equipment on hand.
“The customer’s buying experience is comfortable, as well. Everyone at The Power Shop treats their customers professionally and cordially. They are a neighborhood business that understands they depend on repeat business and positive word of mouth advertising. They strive to sell the customer the piece of equipment that fits their needs rather than just collecting money. If the customer has a unit in mind when they come in, but maybe it doesn’t fit their needs properly, you don’t hear ‘This is what you need’ you would hear ‘Have you considered this?’ followed by a concise explanation of why they might.
“The Power Shop follows up the buying experience with exceptional customer service.
“They also let their customers know, during the sales process, that they provide a discount on parts and labor for equipment bought at their store.
“In my opinion, the thing that makes The Power Shop stand out is they get it. They understand that if they’re not moving forward, they’re losing ground. They hold themselves to a high standard and, in turn, expect the same of their suppliers. They also understand that everything is not going to happen perfectly all the time. So, when it doesn’t, their attitude is not to get mad or point fingers, it’s how do we get the situation rectified ASAP.”
The award was presented to Cub Cadet executives, who agreed saying, “… they have solidified themselves over the last few years as a first-class destination for power equipment in Southwest Washington.”
“It’s not just based on the amount of product sold,” explains Power Shop’s Rebekah Oliver. They were also chosen based on their growth over the last few years, their advertising, and the community events they have participated in. They provide donations and sponsorship of things such as school auctions, cancer research fundraising, and local activities like the Concerts in the Park.
In September, the Power Shop family attended the national Cub Cadet Convention in Orlando, Florida. They knew they had been nominated, but had no idea if they had won. “It was exciting just to be there with over 1,200 other people from over 450 dealerships,” smiles Oliver’s mother, Diane Pruitt.
When they won, they all got to go up to the stage to accept the award, while pictures of the Power Shop were shown on the screen behind them. “It was so much fun,” Rebekah says.
Another confirmation of the work that Power Shop has done with their business and Cub Cadet is Jarrod Oliver’s nomination to serve on the Cub Cadet Dealer Panel early last year.” It’s made up of eight to ten owners of dealerships,” explains Rebekah. “They meet a couple of times a year with different Cub Cadet departments. They offer opinions and feedback on changes to make to products, and to learn about new products. Jarrod signed a non-disclosure agreement though, so I never know what the future products are,” she laughs. “But we love that we are able to help make changes. It shows that Cub Cadet is interested in listening to the dealers. They do consumer research, have test markets, have conversations with groups. Jarrod asks other dealers in the area for their feedback as well then he passes the information on.”
It is another great honor and privilege that Jarrod is the first person from the western region to be on the dealer panel.
Rebekah is pleased with the message of the award. “It’s a recognition that we are doing the right thing, we’re on the right path, growing, doing what we’re supposed to be doing.”
Pruitt nods and smiles in agreement and adds, “It recognized us as a dealership and us as a family.” In this world of competition and business, what more could you ask for?
You can find the Power Shop located at 3820 Harrison Avenue in Centralia. To learn more, you can reach them at 360-736-6340 or visit Power Shop’s website.
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