For rural lifestyle dealers, growth doesn’t always mean selling more of the products you have always sold. Sometimes, it means expanding your market, allowing for a new customer base while offering a new product for existing customers.
That was exactly what Birkey’s Farm Store did when it entered the powersports market as a Can-Am dealer a year and a half ago.
What began as a new product category showcased something much bigger. Parker Hogues, powersports sales representative for Birkey’s Bloomington, Ill., location says that powersports provided a new opportunity to bring in new customers, create new revenue, serve existing customers in new ways and redefine what a farm equipment dealership can be.
“It just kind of took off right away,” Hogue says.
Expanding the Customer Base
For decades, Birkey’s Farm Store has been serving the large ag industry. It has built a strong reputation throughout the community, with Ron Birkey being inducted into Farm Equipment’s 2026 Dealer Hall of Fame and earned recognition as Farm Equipment’s Dealer of the Year in 2007.
Many of the customers who have come in for powersports are new to Birkey’s, discovering the dealership through word of mouth and its growing presence in the market, Hogue says.
Birkey’s offers a range of Can-Am UTVs that provide versatility for a new customer base. Mike Lessiter
Longtime agricultural customers are also finding value in the new product line. Farmers can use certain Can-Am units, such as the long beds, to help with their everyday work. They are using these units to help with hauling hay, spraying fields and supporting cattle farms, Hogue explains.
While realizing this market could serve farmers, Birkey’s spent time trying to figure out which units serve each customer base.
“Figuring out what works for our farmers vs. what works for just a powersports customer who’s using it to go trail riding, has been fun to learn,” Hogue says.
A powersports customer may be looking for recreation and adventures, while a farmer may be looking for a machine that can work around the farm. Having a versatile product lineup helps Birkey’s reach a wide range of customers, he says.
