Marine, powersports vehicle dealer begins 31st year in business

Cheryl Hentz

Contributor

June 23, 2025

CHIPPEWA FALLS – Did you hear the one about the man who went snowmobile shopping for his wife and ended up buying the store?

It’s not surprising if you haven’t, because it’s not one you hear every day.

But, Chip Lewis said that’s exactly what happened with him more than 30 years ago. 

“We’d had a snowmobile in the past, and my wife had been wanting to get another for some time,” he said. “So, one day we decided to go and look for one.”

Lewis said the gentleman who was selling them the snowmobile definitely had his hands full.

“It was a two-man shop – him and his son-in-law – in a small town, and it seemed like he was looking for someone to either help him or take over,” he said. “I owned another business at the time and (knew the) signs when someone is tired and wants to get out. So, we decided to buy the business from him. We thought it would be a good move and a good adventure.”

Was it ever, Lewis said.

That purchase, he said, was the start of a several-decades-long journey that has grown into six retail stores in Wisconsin.

The Airtec name, Lewis said, came from the other business he owned – a compressed gas business specializing in medical oxygen, argon, helium, etc. 

“I got out of that business because it got too big, and there was too much governmental regulation with the DOT, the FDA and OSHA,” he said. “You needed a team of attorneys to navigate the red tape of the government.” 

Lewis said he ran the snowmobile business simultaneously with the gas business, using the Airtec name for both businesses until 2006, when he sold the compressed gas business. 

“We just continued using the name for the sports stores,” he said.

Back to the beginning, through the years

Lewis said the first thing he did after buying that snowmobile business in late 1994 was move it into a bigger building in a bigger city. 

“It was in Colfax, and we moved it to Menomonie,” he said. “And we expanded from there.”

But, as with any business move he makes, Lewis said he started slowly and built his business methodically.  

Two years later, he said he bought an Arctic Cat dealership in Menomonie and combined that with the Polaris business they’d bought.

In 2000, Lewis said he added a Honda franchise and, around 2004, added a Yamaha franchise to the same business location in Menomonie, followed by the purchase of Bear Paw in Rice Lake. 

“They had a Polaris dealership that we bought from them,” he said. “We worked out of that location for a few months and then purchased the Main Street location in Rice Lake and moved it into that building about a year later.”

Lewis said he eventually added Sea-Doo, Ski-Doo and Can-Am franchises to the company’s Rice Lake location, later buying a sports, chainsaws and lawn mower dealership in River Falls, moving it to a location he found in Hudson. 

“Our 2012 purchase in River Falls got us into the lawn and garden business,” Airtec Vice President Jason Zwiefelhofer said. “We didn’t really know anything about it, but it was fun learning and growing it at the same time. We ultimately moved it to Hudson, followed by a move to Roberts, just outside of Hudson.”

Lewis said he later bought out a marine sports equipment business in Holcombe and a marine business in Birchwood.

“In 2022, we bought a Honda dealership in Rice Lake, and with that acquisition, we had planned to move that business into our current facility that we already had in Rice Lake,” Zwiefelhofer said. “We bought out a competitor with that purchase, but he also owned a Coyote compactor and tractor dealership. So, we actually have two stores in Rice Lake – one is all power sports and the other is tractor and lawn care equipment. It was something we weren’t very knowledgeable about, but we got our feet into a whole new industry there.”

However, growing up on a farm, Zwiefelhofer said he did have a little bit of knowledge about tractors and agriculture.

“Failure is not an option, and that’s kind of how we go into everything we do…,” he said. “The first year that we had that business, we did five times the amount of business (the former owner) did the previous year. So, it just exploded for us.”

Zwiefelhofer said it has been fun watching the growth.

“We’re one of the top-selling Coyote tractor dealers in the State of Wisconsin – pretty good for only being in it for two years,” he said.

With the acquisition of that business, Zwiefelhofer said they brought on a different lawn mower manufacturer – Gravely Lawn Mowers, which are made by AriensCo – which he said has proven to be another successful move on their part.

“Last year was our first year with Gravely Lawn Mowers, and it’s really been well accepted that we sell Wisconsin-built lawn mowers,” he said. “That’s a huge deal.”

But, Zwiefelhofer said Lewis wasn’t done yet.

Last December, Lewis said he bought the former Eagles Club in Chippewa Falls and moved the corporate office from Eau Claire into it. 

Since it is 14,000 square feet and is located on a seven-acre parcel, he said he plans to turn the club into a retail location, but keep the corporate headquarters there, too. 

“It can easily accommodate both,” Lewis said. “By the end of the year, we should hopefully be up and running with at least some of that, and within a year be finished with it completely.”

Side-by-sides lead the way

With annual sales growing from about $250,000 to $300,000 the first year, to somewhere around $57 million today, Zwiefelhofer said side-by-sides were and still are Airtec’s main business.

Of everything the company sells – he said snowmobiles, ATVs, motorcycles, side-by-sides, tractors, lawnmowers, boats and pontoons – the side-by-side off-road vehicles are their biggest seller, making up about 50% of overall business. 

“The other 50% is made up of all the other things, including accessories,” he said. “And, of course, we service everything we sell and are warranty dealers for all those products.”

Family oriented company

Though extremely proud of their accomplishments – celebrating 30 years in business in 2025 – Lewis said he doesn’t spend time bragging about or celebrating them in any special way.

He said he also doesn’t like titles or business hierarchy, despite it being necessary for legal purposes.

In fact, Lewis said his secret to keeping good employees is treating everyone as equals as much as possible.

“Everyone is on an equal playing field, and everybody’s got a shot at (making changes or doing something special) within the company,” he said. “We are a very family oriented, open-minded company.”

Lewis said he credits his employees for the sustained growth the business has seen over the years.

“I believe in surrounding myself with good people – someone who has a good work record, has common sense, a good set of values and somebody who always has something to give to the company,” he said.

 Zwiefelhofer echoes Lewis’s sentiments, noting that the “most important part of any business is your employees.”

“You have to surround yourself with good people,” he said.

Currently, Lewis said Airtec employs between 65-70 people – nine of whom are in the home office – and is looking to expand that even more.

COVID-19 = big business for Airtec

Like many other recreation-based businesses, Lewis said the COVID-19 pandemic was an economic boon for Airtec.

Initially, like everyone, Zwiefelhofer said, they didn’t know what to expect.

So, they began making what he said he calls “doom and gloom adjustments” – preparing for the worst. 

“We slowed down our ordering and made some other changes, but just the opposite happened,” he said. “Sales went crazy – through the roof. We had to add staff, and we couldn’t get product fast enough. Our sales just kept peaking – every month was a new record for us all through COVID.”

With many events and activities canceled due to the pandemic, Zwiefelhofer said people started recreating differently.

“People who never owned campers were buying campers and people who never owned boats were buying boats,” he said. “The pandemic got a lot of new people into the market that otherwise probably would never have thought about it or experienced it.”

Post-COVID, Zwiefelhofer said the industry is back to normal, “per se, whatever normal is.”

“Now, a lot of those people who made those purchases three or four, five years ago are getting out of the outdoor recreation business, so it’s driving prices differently on new stuff,” he said. “Prices on new stuff go up every year, no matter what – but there’s maybe a little bit of a lull now as opposed to what we’ve experienced the last three, four or five years.”

However, Zwiefelhofer said there are “always good promotions” on boats, pontoons and side-by-sides in summertime – “so, sales are still very good.”

Looking ahead 

A single-owner, family owned and operated business since day one, Lewis said Airtec will remain family owned as it moves into the future. 

He said his sons – Cooper and Cal – currently serve as chief financial officer and controller, respectively. 

“They enjoy it, are very involved in it and understand the business very well,” he said. “They’re basically running it more than I am these days.”

Lewis said his wife serves as secretary/treasurer.

“She is a wonderful partner who is extremely helpful in running the business,” he said.

At this point, Lewis said he doesn’t have any new business plans on the horizon but believes sometime in the next 24 months, he’ll find something else to buy. 

“We’re looking at different cities and different locations to either move into or purchase,” he said. “We’re always looking to grow.”

Zwiefelhofer said Lewis’s words about business were, are and always will be: “If you’re not growing, you’re dying.”

And in case you’re wondering, Lewis said his wife finally got her snowmobile. 

“Just two or three years ago, the employees went out and found one that was identical to the one she had wanted back in 1994,” he said. “So, they bought it, fixed it up and gave it to her.”