WPS Announces Sales Team Promotions

As a result of its continued expansion and tremendous growth within the powersports industry, WPS has announced a number of new employee roles within the company. These new roles are structured to help support long-term and continued growth, according to the company. Recent role changes include the following:

Twenty-year industry veteran Doug Riipinen has moved to the new role of director of sales and marketing after spending the last 10 years as national sales manager. In his new role, Riipinen will focus on key areas that will help WPS continue to grow such as key vendor and dealer relationships and overall function and success of the sales team. He will also serve as a liaison between the sales and marketing teams to ensure continued growth of the company’s house brands.

Ronnie Wehr will assume an expanded role as the new national sales manager for both WPS and HardDrive American V-Twin. Wehr, an avid motorcyclist with over 25 years of industry sales experience, most recently spent the last four years focused on the growth of the company’s HardDrive American V-Twin division as national sales manager. Going forward Wehr will work closely with Director of Sales and Marketing Doug Riipinen to continue sales growth and develop new markets.

Paul Davis has been appointed to the role of marketing manager after previously serving as Dragon Alliance brand manager, WPS helmet and goggle sales manager, and most recently marketing project manager. Davis will lead the marketing team in its B2B dealer and house brand B2C marketing and advertising efforts.

Randy Lasher brings ten years of powersports industry experience as part of the WPS team to his new position as HardDrive regional sales manager. Lasher spent three years as inside sales manager, four years in international sales, and the last three years as Sena brand and sales manager. In his new role, Lasher will manage the HardDrive American V-Twin division outside sales force in the western half of the country.

Kyle Isaacs moves into a new role as WPS Shinko Tire USA brand sales manager. A lifelong powersports enthusiast, Isaacs joined the company as part of the inside sales team. He has managed service departments, has owned his own business and looks forward to sharing the Shinko story with dealers.

The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame recently named Marilyn Stemp and Steve Piehl to its board of directors.

Stemp is a pioneering figure in the motorcycle industry, founding IronWorks Magazine with her late husband, Dennis, and becoming the first female editor of a nationally circulated, mainstream motorcycle magazine. She also revived their trade magazine, Iron Trader News; edits the monthly Kiwi Indian News; contributes to several powersports media outlets; and is the founding editor of Sturgis Rider Daily. Stemp is a noted editor and writer of several motorcycle-focused books. Her consistent support for charitable efforts in the industry include the annual Biker Belles Celebration, Las Vegas BikeFest and as campaign chair for the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum’s development plan in 2014. She co-founded the Flying Piston charity events taking place in Daytona and Sturgis each year and is a National Ambassador for All Kids Bike. Stemp was inducted into both the Las Vegas Motorcycle Hall of Fame and the Sturgis Museum's Hall of Fame in 2018, and in 2022 she was recognized as one of the Top 100 Women in Powersports by DealerNews.