The Gordinier Group partnered up once again with one of the most iconic brands in the world – the Harley Davidson Motor Company. After several years touring with HD in support of the LiveWire electric motorcycle and in support of the Rushmore/Milwaukee 8 launch initiatives, we teamed up again in 2017/18 to tour the country and bring the brand to the people.
This year, GG supported the HD tour in 3 different capacities:
- Set up/dismantle/management of the HD promo trailer at rider events
- VIP ride program
- Setup/dismantle/management of the HD promo trailer at NHRA and flat track races as well as IMS events (with Emcee duties)
Along with HD trailer set up and dismantle management and events around the country (such as Sturgis, Milwaukee Rally, Laughlin, etc), GG handled the logistics, route planning and leading of a VIP ride program. In this program, GG managers identified and vetted event attendees that were in the purchase funnel but needed a little nudge before being ready to buy. These 10 VIP guests were allowed to take their preferred Milwaukee 8-equipped bike for an exclusive, personalized 150+ mile group ride, led by a GG manager. These rides took place on a pre-planned scenic route, including a lunch stop at a favorite local watering hole. Riders were encouraged to swap bikes along the way and were able to spend an extended amount of time really getting to know the bike that they were interested in. The feedback from the program was phenomenal! We were shocked by how many VIP riders immediately purchased motorcycles within days (or sometimes hours) of their ride!
Gordinier Group teamed up with longtime partner George P. Johnson to deliver a 7-week program at TAC – the birthplace of the modern Jeep Wrangler.
In an effort to boost morale at the plant, the Jeep Immersion at TAC was designed to give employees an opportunity to grow their enthusiasm for the brand. Employees from each department in the plant spent a full day learning about Jeep history, participating in team-building activities and ultimately driving the vehicles that they build on a challenging off-road course.
Gordinier Group was charged with designing and constructing the off-road courses and providing drivers and safety spotters to operate them. We developed two courses – an extreme ‘Rubicon Only’ course that our drivers took passengers on as well as a ‘Trail Rated’ course that was driven by the employees with our spotters on hand to help them to navigate the course.
We came into this event with the experience earned last summer at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant (JNAP) Jeep Immersion under our belt. The timing and logistics of getting over 100 employees safely through both courses each day had been dialed in, and guests LOVED the experience. Participants used off-road driving lessons given by GG drivers on the Rubicon course to pilot their Wranglers through the Trail Rated course without incident.
Activating an event in Toledo at the home of the Wrangler was a special opportunity for our drivers, who are all die-hard Wrangler fans. It didn’t go unnoticed that just a few feet away, 2018 Wrangler JLs were rolling off of the line… Exciting times for Jeep fans!
Below you will dfin a couple of clips that appeared on local Toledo media sites:
Toledo Blade article and videos
The 2017 Ram Farm Show Tour tallied it’s 5th and final summer show at the SunBelt Ag Show in Moultrie, GA.
This year’s tour recorded stops at:
- World Agriculture Expo, Tulare CA (February 13-17)
- Wisconsin Farm Technology Days – Kewaunee, WI (July 11-13)
- Farm Progress Show – Decatur, IL (August 29-31)
- Husker Harvest Days – Grand Island, NE (September 12-14)
- SunBelt Ag Expo – Moultrie, GA (October 17-19)
Of all 5 farm shows in 2017, there was only 1 day that we were unable to drive due to inclement weather – this must be a record!
With friendly weather and the best light and heavy-duty truck lineup in the market, the Ram ride+drive tracks were busier than ever this year. As the focus has been shifting more towards the towing/hauling capability of these trucks, our courses have changed to accommodate more demand there. We still offer an off-road ride course at all shows, but have also added an experiential towing portion to the drive, where guests can get behind the wheel of a 1500, 2500 or 3500 and actually pull a trailer to feel the power, torque and load -handling. Of course, the crowd favorite is the 3500 6.7L Cummins High Output w/max tow that is pulling 30,000 lbs worth of a Case backhoe on a Big Tex gooseneck trailer. How’s that for real-life experience?
Gordinier Group’s off-road course-building entity, Dirt Designs, headed to Owasso, Oklahoma to design and construct a test drive track at the new Jim Glover Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat Dealership.
Providing a controlled track that specifically demonstrates Trail Rated attributes (such as traction, articulation, maneuverability, and ground clearance) flat-out works for a Jeep dealership. What better sales tool can you ask for, then to be able to take potential buyers out to show them what a Jeep vehicle can actually do? Furthermore, many Jeep customers (and also owners) aren’t familiar with how to engage such features as Hill Descent Control, Electronic-Locking Axles, Sway-Bar Disconnect, Selec Terrain, and Selec Speed. With each course build, Gordinier Group/Dirt Designs bakes in a day of staff training so that we can get the dealership sales crew up to speed on how to properly/safely drive and instruct drivers in an off-road setting.
Dirt Designs typically designs custom dealership courses to accommodate the entire Jeep lineup, including Wrangler, Grand Cherokee, Cherokee, Renegade, and Compass. The Jim Glover track has a couple of bonus ‘Rubicon Only’ turn-offs for the guests interested in Wrangler Rubicon (and pushing the limits a bit).
