Backgrounder --
As the president ofย the global leader of golf cars and one of the largest of small electrical vehicles, Mark Wagner hasย full responsibility for the management, operations, strategy and performance of the Club Car business.ย Heย has ledย numerous productย introductionsย likeย Club Car Connectย with Sharkย Experience in car entertainment and Visage course management tools,ย theย LI-ION Lithium car,ย the Tempo Walk (an autonomous caddie)ย and Club Carโs 502 golf turf and utility vehicleย that helps superintendents do their jobs better.
The Wagner Story --
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I had been in sales and distribution leadership rolesย for over 20 years withย Ingersoll Rand, our parent company,ย before joining Club Car as Presidentย in 2017.ย While working in sales offices across the northeast, a mentor once told me no matter the product complexity, or the technology it entails, or its advantage vs. competition ourย success will always be tied to our people.ย ย ย
He stressed to me that if our associates and channel partners are passionate about what they do and excited aboutย working forย our company,ย they willย alwaysย go the extra mile for our customers.ย The best strategies or best products are critically important, but only if you have great people to make them a reality.ย
Years later, I have found that advice to be true. Across many industries and geographies,ย I haveย seenย amazing people working incredibly hardย behind everyย businessย success.ย ย My role is simply to help our peopleย succeed andย itโsย less about top down decision making. Winning is contagious and when a business has momentum like Club Car has, the energy from our team almost fuels itself.
Just one more week before we get to the #PGASHOW! Last year we joined more than 40,000 golf industry professionals to check out the best of anything else a golfer could possibly need. Weโre even more excited about this year's show. #clubcar #pgashow https://t.co/OzCmEWUlHG pic.twitter.com/ZEq8LSlocQ
โ Club Car (@clubcar) January 14, 2020
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Youย wake up in the morning -- what's the driving passion?ย ย
I am passionate about what I do atย Club Carย because of the excitement and challenges that I get to experience every day. Our teams are working hard to manage our significant growth, product innovation, and feature complexity simultaneously while maintaining our brand promise and quality.ย The demand for electric vehicles across many product platforms and geographies is atย anย all-time high. Golf remains a very healthy business andย our consumer and commercial markets are rapidly growing around the world.ย Theย amount ofย product development and electric power train battery technology advancementย currentlyย at Club Car is unprecedented in our history.ย ย ย ย
How would you assess the overall health of the golf industry as we begin 2020?ย ย
Iโm very encouraged withย the state of our industry and particularlyย the workย thatย weย as wellย asย otherย industryย leadersย have done, both toย identifyย the challengesย and to grow and evolve the game. Theseย efforts haveย undoubtedlyย led to greater participation. Since 2016 weโve seenย growthย in golf participationย year over yearย over yearย โ both 24.2 million on course and 9.3 million for off courseย withย entertainment and training type venues. We are bringingย insights along withย better technology, better products and better experiencesย toย a captive audience of 33.5 million participants and thatโs very promising.ย
Theย golf market is clearly evolving as Baby Boomers being supplanted by Millennials -- albeit not at an exact replacement percentage. How does such market evolution impact Club Car priorities in the marketplace?ย
Our audiences areย broaderย so our approach in delivering solutions and products that matter hasย to be different. We focus on evolving so weโre more compelling and engaging. Millennials have grown up with a phone in their hand and access toย streaming musicย soย thereโs an expectation of being connected.ย We are paying attention to that and in lock step with making sure we deliver new offerings and options to these golfers and the golf courses who serve them.ย ย
What'sย the biggest differentiator in what Club Car does versus any of your competitors?ย ย
We are stewards of the gameย and engage with future generations ofย the gameย often and early, largely due to our unique industry relationshipsย and partnershipsย with theย likes ofย PGA, First Tee and US Kids, among others.ย ย
Itย makesย us unique and allowsย us to better understand the industry and the business of golf, andย help supportย the gameย which is good for everyone.ย We strive to meet the needs and expectations of new audiencesย like Millennials,ย but alsoย youthย in an effort to build relationships between them and the game they will hopefully play for life. Ourย relationshipย with youth organizations bringsย us closer to the game through their eyes.ย Many of these players will become accomplished golfers, join clubs andย perhaps serve onย golf-related boards and associations.ย ย
In addition to ourย partnershipsย we bring unique products, services and technology to the game with exclusive entertainment options like the Shark Experience and our Visage Fleet Management system along with products like ourย hands-free caddie theย Tempo Walk. We align ourselves withย the National Club Association and withย courses in a way that sets them up for success and helps them drive new revenues to courses and better manage their operations.ย ย
What's your take on golf clubs and courses using golf boards as opposed to traditional golf carts -- whether electric or gas?ย
We fully support innovation. Golf boards, bikes, scooters, and our golf cars are all micro-mobility options for a rider, and depending on the application they all have their place.ย Collectively theyย provideย an alternative way to get around, to exercise andย to have fun. For Club Car,ย weย continue to innovate and ensure that we serve large portions of the market,ย and we must also take into consideration a golf courseโs terrain which can be challenging. In the end we want to provideย aย fun,ย safeย and quality experience for golfers.ย ย
There's been a major push for more golfers to actually walk when playing given the surging obesity rate in America. How does taking a power cart, whether one from Club Car or a competitor, fit or not fit in with this changing landscape and what does that bode for future usage?ย ย
All exercise is good exercise. I know when I play cart golfย I can still push 8,000 steps or I canย take Tempo Walk, a niceย option for fitnessย enthusiastsย and low handicappers who might generally carry a bag which can affect your swing. With Tempo Walk โ you have a greatย alternative in a golf experienceย that providesย fun,ย exercise andย a hands-freeย option so you can focus on your swing andย make your wayย around the courseย in an enjoyable fashion.ย ย
When you play golf -- how often do you use a power cart versus walking via either carrying your bag, using a pull cart or employing a caddie if available?ย ย
Iโm driving in a Clubย Carย mostย every time.ย I like to mix it up from time to time and Iโve also enjoyed using our Tempo Walk.ย ย ย
Companies routinely tout the importance of customer service -- define the term and the approach followed at Club Car.ย ย ย
Itโs really about how we make the complex simple. And itโs difficult.ย Consider whenย youโre at a restaurant staring at a menu that is sixย pages long. How does the establishmentย perfect each and every dish?ย Well,ย at Club Carย weโre working on that.ย We are talking aboutย automotive grade cars and technologyย that are maintained around the world. If a customer has a concern, how do we resolve theirย issue as quickly possible?ย It takes expertise and investment.ย An upfront investment with planning andย the ability to designย product linesย thatย refresh our portfolio with new innovations, whileย alsoย asking ourselvesย how we canย improve quality. Itย takes time andย an investment in our greatest resource, our people. We are constantly tasked with and tinkering with our technology, front end systems and how we can interact withย customers more efficiently.ย ย ย
Theย most serious challenges facing Club Car -- short and long term -- is what?ย
Weโve experienced a lot of growthย and weโre delivering a very sophisticated line of products that serve very different audiences and markets. The challenge isย to manage the complexity ofย our productsย as well asย the business soย we can continue to expand in new markets andย grow and leverage the growth so in the end weย continueย toย deliverย cost effective products and offeringsย that provide the highest level of value and experience to our customers.ย ย ย ย
Best advice you ever received -- what was it and who from?ย ย
An important mentor to me was Steve Wey. He was present in my career while I was rising through the ranks of sales. He said,ย โItโs not all about technology, itโs all about people, and how we serve our customers and thatโs all that mattersย โย noย matter what we do.โย
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Photos courtesy: Club Car