Dealernews Returns After Closing in 2015

Dennis Chung
by Dennis Chung

Powersports dealer trade publication Dealernews is being revived under new ownership, nearly a year after previous owners UBM Advanstar shut it down. Dealernews launched in 1965 as Motorcycle Dealer News, providing industry news to dealers across the country.

In 1966, Dealernews hosted its first industry trade show, Dealer Expo, which was last held in 2014, after interest declined in large part by the introduction of AIMExpo. The publication ran in print, and eventually online, until Dec. 23, 2015.

The Dealernews.com website remained online following received its first update earlier this month. The site will have a public section, highlighting the achievements of dealerships, and a private section offering more in-depth industry information.

The brand was revived by a new company, doing business as DN 2.0 LLC, under the leadership of President Bob Althoff, owner of three Harley-Davidson dealerships in Columbus, Ohio, Chairman Stan Simpson, a past chair of the American Motorcyclist Association, and with Scott Johnson, president of Basic Media Group. The new owners plan to continue providing business news and industry education for North American powersports dealers. Former Dealernews editor and associate publisher Mary Green (née Slepicka) will also be part of the team as vice president and general manager.

The new owners acquired Dealernews in May from Advanstar, securing its print and online archives, enewsletter and its Top 100 Dealer competition. Along with a board of advisors representing more than a dozen dealers across the U.S. and Canada, the new owners proclaim Dealernews’ return to the control of dealers.

“Successful dealers make the entire powersports industry stronger, and the new Dealernews will again become the voice of the powersports retail market,” says Simpson. “The changes we have made to Dealernews are designed to serve this audience in a way that no other organization or media outlet is currently capable of, making it of the dealer, by the dealer and for the dealer.”

Dennis Chung
Dennis Chung

Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.

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