By introducing generators, Polaris is entering a $1 billion industry that already includes heavyweight players like Honda and Yamaha. Polaris hopes to differentiate itself by only selling through its international network of Polaris dealers so it can tap customers loyal to the Polaris brand. There are no plans to broaden distribution to include big-name outdoor retailers, Eastman said.
Mike Getz, general manager of Best Line Equipment in State College, Pa., said he likes the approach Polaris is taking. By selling only through Polaris dealers like him, it ensures that customers can get products and service. That is what will differentiate Polaris from a Wal-Mart or any commodity product.
Paul Johnson, manager of business development for Polaris Power, said the company is comfortable with its approach. Months of customer surveys, dealer input and employee field tests revealed that the customers who buy Polaris ATVs, motorcycles and snowmobiles are the same outdoor lovers who want access to power using a beloved brand.
Polaris is also smart about its pricing, said Getz, who also sells portable Honda digital inverter generators, a brand he considers the Mercedes-Benz of the industry.
‘‘The Polaris units that compete with the Honda inverters provide the same technology and provide it at a lower price,” Getz said. “Polaris’s lowest-price model is $125 less and on the higher end it’s $500 less than the Honda brand. The prices are where they need to be to compete with Honda.”