The Dealer Lab

Ownex

Exploring the Future of Dealerships — One Experiment at a Time The Dealer Lab is the official podcast of the Ownex Network — a community of dealers, operators, and industry experts working together to redefine what a modern dealership can be. Hosted by Max Materne, Danny French, and Justin Watson, each episode dives deep into the experiments, breakthroughs, and hard-earned lessons emerging from real dealerships inside the Ownex Cohort. From transforming customer retention and fixed operations to reshaping culture, leadership, and technology — The Dealer Lab explores what happens when you sta

  1. 28 | Jamie Dewar: Legend Boats CEO talks AI

    3D AGO

    28 | Jamie Dewar: Legend Boats CEO talks AI

    Reimagining Dealerships with AI Agents | Jamie Dewar (Legend Boats) with Max Materne & Danny FrenchMax Materne and Danny French interview Jamie Dewar, co-CEO of Legend Boats, about how AI, vibe coding, and agents are reshaping dealerships and manufacturer-dealer operations. Dewar explains Legend’s unique model as a manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, and direct-to-consumer retailer with four stores and a Canada-wide dealer network, and shares the company’s history from tires and RVs to launching the Legend brand in the mid-’80s. The conversation covers Dewar’s technical/business background, rapid prototyping of internal tools like menu selling/desking and brokerage-style workflows, and the challenge of integrating many small apps through shared data, with Legend using Salesforce as a backend and APIs, anticipating Salesforce’s Headless 360. They discuss an “agentic enterprise” future where humans manage agents that handle repetitive admin work, enabling staff to focus on customer experience, and Dewar outlines plans to rebuild the premium Vetta pontoon brand’s partner and customer experience using AI-built digital tools.00:00 Dealership Reimagined02:11 Meet Jamie Dewar03:10 Legend Boats Overview04:55 Marine Industry Challenges05:49 From Tires to Boats07:57 Culture of Pivots09:31 Jamies Tech Background11:11 Second Generation Leadership12:59 Vibe Coding Explained14:13 First Tools Built16:18 Integration Strategy19:58 Salesforce as Backend21:50 Headless CRM Agents25:00 Local Agents via Slack27:38 Beyond SaaS Interfaces32:37 AI Native Dealerships33:42 Build vs Buy Reality34:43 Agent Layer Over Tools37:27 Understaffed or Underleveraged40:13 Personal Agent Wins42:17 Rapid Prototyping Culture45:40 Quick Win Dealer Tools47:06 Scraping DMS for Quotes49:34 Data Quality and Trust50:00 Training Agents with Docs56:18 Task Based Agent Teams59:23 Vetta Brand Experience Rebuild01:01:37 Next Steps and Wrap Up

    1h 4m
  2. 27 | Steve Radt: Norton Motorcycles USA CEO

    MAY 11

    27 | Steve Radt: Norton Motorcycles USA CEO

    Norton Motorcycles USA CEO Steve Radt on Bringing Norton Back to America, TVS Backing, and the Future of Dealer ExperienceSteve Radt, Norton Motorcycles USA’s first hire and CEO, discusses building Norton’s U.S. subsidiary from scratch (LLC, licensing, homologation, facility, staffing, and dealer strategy) and Norton’s plan to return to the U.S. market. He recounts his background in mechanical engineering, early Ducati roles, turning around and later selling Ducati/Triumph New York, and his work growing Polestar’s dealer network. Radt explains Norton’s revival under TVS, including $300M invested, UK-based design/testing and manufacturing in Solihull for the V4 Manx R, with additional production planned in Hosur, India, and details TVS’s scale, quality culture, and BMW contract manufacturing. He outlines a franchise-dealer approach, a planned U.S. launch target of November, a three-year/36,000-mile warranty, and a focus on reducing purchase/service friction through technology to improve ownership experience.00:00 Big Norton Ambitions01:42 Meet Steve Radt02:22 Norton NYC Backdrop04:23 Restoration Shop Culture05:47 Building Norton USA08:06 Jersey City HQ Plans10:30 Engineering Roots Ducati Dream12:25 Cagiva Chaos Typewriter Era15:25 Back to Ducati Consulting Rise20:47 Leaving Ducati Startup Detour22:03 Saving Ducati New York25:40 Mototainment Dealer Success27:02 NYC Parking Tickets Elevator29:51 Selling During COVID Surge32:52 Polestar EV Network Growth34:30 Why Return to Norton37:10 TVS Buys And Invests43:07 TVS Legacy and Halo43:45 Quality Roots and Kaizen50:19 Bus Line Origin Story52:14 Norton Leadership Bench55:02 Engineering Muscle in Bologna56:27 Manx R Launch Timeline57:21 Building the US Dealer Network01:01:39 Frictionless Buying with Tech01:05:48 Dealer Model and Norton Hub01:10:49 Factory Scale and Logistics01:12:12 Future Dealerships and AI01:30:05 Product Roadmap and Accessibility01:35:06 Closing Thoughts and Thanks

    1h 36m
  3. 26 | Brendan Baker: Powersports Business Editor in Chief

    MAY 4

    26 | Brendan Baker: Powersports Business Editor in Chief

    Brendan Baker on Racing Roots, B2B Publishing, and the Future of Powersports Dealerships Max Materne and Danny French interview Brendan Baker, editor-in-chief of Power Sports Business, covering his publishing career that began after a family racing team ran out of money and his dad launched magazines, including Akron Business Magazine, to fund racing. Baker recounts early years in quarter midgets, karts, and road racing, working as a counterman and mechanic, and later writing for automotive B2B titles like Engine Builder and Counterman. The conversation shifts to the current powersports market, including dealership closures, Harley-Davidson network contraction, and large groups like Sonic acquiring stores and selling 1,100 motorcycles at Sturgis, aided by tools like One Dealer Lane. They discuss challenges in service and parts, low technician pay, staff turnover, and how AI could reduce administrative work to improve customer experience and help dealerships retain talent. 00:00 Racing Needs Money 00:11 Dad Starts A Magazine 04:19 Lost Podcast Callback 06:57 Accidental Publishing Career 07:45 Racing Roots And Team 12:06 Akron Business Magazine 15:31 Automotive Publishing Shift 17:04 Gas Station Side Hustle 20:10 Engine Builder And Blueprinting 24:53 Counterman And Parts Lore 33:03 Closing The Parts Store 34:18 Dealership Closures Today 37:36 Dealers Under Pressure 38:03 Sonic Buys Power Sports 44:40 Auto Groups Struggle Here 47:16 Sturgis Sales Machine 47:30 One Dealer Lane Speed 50:23 Fixing Service And Parts 53:36 Keeping Great Advisors 01:00:05 Tech Exodus And Pay 01:03:52 AI To Remove Admin Work 01:12:40 Next Wave For Dealers 01:15:42 Wrap Up And Thanks

    1h 19m
  4. 25 | Jason White: Fay Myers & One Dealer Lane

    APR 28

    25 | Jason White: Fay Myers & One Dealer Lane

    Jason White on AI, One Dealer Lane, and Digitizing the Powersports Dealership ExperienceMax Materne and Danny French interview Jason White, managing partner of Fay Myers Motorcycle World in Denver and a VP within the fourth-generation Schomp Automotive Group, about why AI will reshape dealerships and why operators must engage or be left behind. White explains his role in automotive software A to Z Sync and the creation of One Dealer Lane (ODL), a powersports-focused middleware platform built after A to Z Sync couldn’t be adapted to powersports needs like VIN decoding, taxation, and rate/remittance. He describes ODL’s modular “lanes,” its growth from in-store pilots to dozens of dealerships and major events like Sturgis, and the change-management challenges of moving staff from paper and desktops to iPads. The conversation covers digitizing sales and compliance, integrating with Lightspeed, using AI in service (Blink AI scheduling/texting, See It Now video walkarounds), AI assistants in sales follow-up, data normalization issues, and the future of agents, training, and end-to-end digital transactions. 00:00 AI Is Not A Fad01:58 Meet The Guests 03:36 Jason’s Roles And Background 06:29 From AtoZ Sync To One Dealer Lane 10:14 Building ODL For Powersports 14:23 Scaling ODL With Dealers 17:22 Change Management In Stores 24:10 One Price One Profit Model 28:29 Inventory Pricing And Data Gaps 36:27 Removing Friction For Staff 41:34 AI In The Dealership Today 42:25 Blink AI Service Scheduling 46:09 Lightspeed Integration Outlook 47:02 API Fees and Workarounds 48:44 Video Walkarounds and Integrations 49:43 Sales AI Assistant in CRM 53:19 Data Normalization Challenges 56:00 Local AI Agents for Service 01:01:01 Service Videos and Upsell Trust 01:05:10 Digitizing the Full Deal 01:10:32 Amazon Effect and Industry Change 01:19:08 Dealer Advice for AI Adoption 01:27:15 Privacy Risks and Wrap Up

    1h 29m
  5. 24 | Oz Osburn: GM of Motohouse

    APR 20

    24 | Oz Osburn: GM of Motohouse

    From Marine to GM: Oz Osburn on Building a Powersports Dealership, Leading Teams, and Using AIOz Osburn discusses his career path from Marine Corps infantry to law enforcement, then into automotive service and management in Colorado, including managing a high-volume Ford service operation, before moving to Mississippi and briefly working at a Ford dealer in Metairie. He joined MotoHouse in early 2022 as the store was being built and opened, initially servicing Can-Am before adding Polaris, CFMoto, Yamaha, Sea-Doo, and other lines, and he explains key differences between automotive and powersports service such as diagnostic complexity, parts lead times, and warranty gray areas. Oz describes being promoted to general manager in May 2024, absorbing multiple department responsibilities amid staffing changes, focusing on numbers, staffing, and performance. He also covers hiring challenges, team dynamics, inventory aging/seasonality pricing decisions, and how AI and a new CRM are being used to manage customer follow-up, transparency, and accountability.00:00 Jumping In Headfirst03:02 Origin of Oz04:43 Mississippi Connections06:00 Colorado to Marines06:28 Cop to Car Sales08:38 Climbing Service Ranks09:16 Running Mega Service Drive12:25 Move to Mississippi Fast13:33 Metairie Culture Shock15:39 Indeed to Moto House18:22 Opening Store From Scratch20:34 Mud Builds and Warranty Gray24:24 Diagnostics and Parts Delays26:33 Customer Emotions and Ops29:40 Adding Brands and Growth30:45 Service Lines and PWC Flow31:01 Small Shop Staffing31:35 Service Org Chart Explained32:45 From Service to GM34:56 Wearing Every Hat37:18 Hiring Travis into Service38:59 Niagara Falls Learning Curve40:06 Math Over Feelings42:59 Pricing and Floorplan Reality48:02 Seasonality and MAP Limits51:31 Service Manager Skills as GM56:45 Dispatch and Tech Motivation01:05:41 Coordinator Pipeline and Hiring01:07:30 Sales Team Pressure Culture01:09:18 Hiring Sales Risks01:10:33 Empathy Versus Accountability01:12:18 Setting Effort Expectations01:14:24 AI CRM Customer Mining01:16:41 Sales Transparency With AI01:24:39 AI For Reviews And Texting01:28:21 Agentic AI For Service01:35:12 Future Roles And Silos01:44:59 Outsourcing Warranty Claims01:47:05 Efficiency And Closing Thoughts

    1h 49m
  6. 23 | DELV Analysis: how we study Dealership Operations

    APR 14

    23 | DELV Analysis: how we study Dealership Operations

    Inside Ownex’s DELV Dealership Analysis: Valuation, Loyalty Data, and a 90-Day RoadmapIn this episode of the Dealer Lab podcast, Justin visits the studio and the team explains how the set was built from an AI-generated image before diving into Ownex’s DELV dealership analysis. Max, Danny, and Justin walk through the report’s structure, including the five-star vitals executive summary across profitability, department contribution, inventory health, technician proficiency, and sales/parts/service penetration, then show how the tool converts gaps into dollar opportunities and identifies the top three highest-ROI priorities. They discuss using DELV for due diligence and valuation, emphasizing customer lifetime gross profit and how top loyal customers can drive a large share of profit, plus how understaffing and process choices can lose loyalty. The demo also highlights seasonality, LIDAR scans for space and profit-per-square-foot analysis, inventory and flooring risk, technician performance, brand profitability, reputation scraping, team sentiment surveys, onsite interviews, and a repeatable 90-day roadmap with supporting documents and accountability.00:00 3D Dealership Software00:29 Profit and Inventory Dashboards03:01 Podcast Studio Arrival03:45 AI Designed The Set06:59 Dealership Lounge Ideas09:04 Dealer Meeting Chaos Stories10:07 Delve Analysis For Acquisition15:18 Customer Value And Loyalty30:15 Back From Break Report Walkthrough31:23 Star Rating Executive Summary34:20 Benchmarks Versus Healthy Stores39:12 Top Three ROI Switches41:53 Vitals Executive Summary43:36 Top Three Profit Levers46:25 Customer Loyalty Economics50:03 Seasonality And Lidar53:52 Inventory And Brand Insights57:30 Reputation Team Onsite01:01:48 Roadmap Accountability System01:08:58 Staff Interviews Real Fixes01:16:32 Wrap Up And Next Steps

    1h 17m
  7. 22 | Jacque Touzet: Moto Justice

    APR 10

    22 | Jacque Touzet: Moto Justice

    Dealerships, Community, and AI: Jacque Touzet on the Ownership ExperienceMax Materne and Danny French interview Jacque Touzet, the longtime dealership attorney, customer, and track-riding motorcycle enthusiast, about what made their former dealership feel like a family and community hub through events, problem-solving, and strong communication. Jacque explains how helping riders after crashes and dealing with insurance issues helped shape his practice focused on riders, and they discuss how dealerships have grown colder post-sale and post-COVID amid consolidation, shrinking margins, lower-displacement sales, and reduced staffing. The conversation compares these shifts to changes in law practice, emphasizes that great experiences—not just volume—drive loyalty, and highlights racing and events (like the Thruxton Cup and Supercross) as ways to build excitement and attract new riders. They also discuss cautious, non-customer-facing uses of AI to reduce administrative workload while preserving human relationships.00:00 Dealership Community Magic01:57 No Headphones Banter02:33 Meet Jacques Tze03:18 Track Days and Rob04:39 Service Talent Gap05:38 Family Feel at TTR07:26 Helping Riders After Crashes09:18 Experience Lost After Sale11:00 Law and Dealer Parallels12:55 Consolidation Kills Soul13:51 Staffing and Margin Crunch18:14 Smaller Bikes New Reality20:05 Why 400cc Bikes Rule25:02 Ownership Experience Focus27:41 Communication Builds Trust28:40 Events and Online Negativity31:57 Thruxton Cup FOMO34:07 Racing Street Bikes Today34:36 Harley Racing Buzz36:27 Supercross Youth Surge38:06 John Franco Build42:34 Dealership Passion Crunch43:18 AI Cautionary Tales44:42 AI For Back Office53:50 Agents And Memory57:36 Future Dealership Mesh01:01:20 Community Over Machines01:04:05 Wrap Up And Thanks

    1h 5m
  8. 21 | Jacob Berry: Motohunt Co-founder

    MAR 31

    21 | Jacob Berry: Motohunt Co-founder

    How MotoHunt Started: Jacob Berry on Inventory Management, Used-Bike Strategy & the Future of DealershipsMax Materne and Danny French interview Jacob Berry, co-founder of MotoHunt, about his background from automotive master tech to RideNow’s internet director and how MotoHunt was born from tedious, multi-day Excel-based inventory meetings that required manually pulling JD Power, NPA, and network data to make pricing and transfer decisions. Jacob explains how seed money and partnering with Michael led to building a centralized, data-driven tool to remove emotion from inventory decisions for both new and pre-owned units, and how dealers can use it for appraisals, competitive pricing, and acquisition strategy. The conversation also covers podcasting lessons, post-COVID normalization and aged inventory challenges, using service ROs as a major source of used-bike acquisitions via DMS API integration, the need for process adoption, and expectations for more online, AI-assisted, transparent buying.00:00 Spreadsheet Inventory Hell01:39 Building MotoHunt Idea03:26 Podcasting Growing Pains05:17 Taking Over a Podcast07:29 Improving the Show Format10:43 Pre vs Post COVID Reality14:55 Dealer Background Story15:29 From Tech to Corporate Digital20:14 Why Inventory Drives Everything21:30 Mechanic Mindset in Sales24:42 MotoHunt Origin with Michael29:29 How Dealers Use MotoHunt32:16 New Features and New Inventory34:51 Pre Owned Becomes the Brand38:35 Used Strategy and Risk40:24 Service Lane Trade Pipeline43:31 Breaking Sales Service Silos46:54 Advisor Incentives And Ownership48:29 Automating RO Equity Mining51:44 Moto Hunt Setup Walkthrough54:03 Future Of Digital Retail01:02:31 Hybrid Sales Team Model01:06:34 Service Future And Tech Shortage01:12:19 Human Touch Versus AI01:15:24 AI For Outreach Consistency01:20:47 Wrap Up And COTA Plans

    1h 23m
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About

Exploring the Future of Dealerships — One Experiment at a Time The Dealer Lab is the official podcast of the Ownex Network — a community of dealers, operators, and industry experts working together to redefine what a modern dealership can be. Hosted by Max Materne, Danny French, and Justin Watson, each episode dives deep into the experiments, breakthroughs, and hard-earned lessons emerging from real dealerships inside the Ownex Cohort. From transforming customer retention and fixed operations to reshaping culture, leadership, and technology — The Dealer Lab explores what happens when you sta

Information

  • Creator
    Ownex
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Ownex
  • Show Website
    The Dealer Lab

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