“When you believe in a product, you run it,” says Jenni Arnold of Badgerland Off-Road in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Jeni and her husband, Mike Arnold, dreamed of being their own bosses and decided to jump right in with their own shop. Their passion for Jeeps and Mike’s 20-plus years in the automotive industry have largely contributed to their success.
A few months ago, Jenni received a call from MotorTrend “completely out of the blue” inquiring about their shop. She was informed that Badgerland had been selected out of hundreds of shops in the country to be featured on MotorTrend’s television program, Motorhead Garage. Both of their Jeeps, a Jeep Gladiator JT and a Jeep Wrangler JKU, would be featured.
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Bestop, the industry’s leading manufacturer of premium Jeep soft tops and accessories, is recognizing one outstanding ‘Jobber of the Month’ in 2021. For over 65 years, the Colorado-based company has been committed to providing the highest quality, innovation and durability to the driving adventure-seeking consumer.
How did Badgerland get noticed? “They came across our social media and liked what they saw,” says Jenni.
She puts in a tremendous amount of time in their Instagram and Facebook pages and insists that’s what sealed the deal. “I’ve only advertised once outside of social media,” says Jenni. “Even a small amount of effort can go a long way with current and future customers.”
Badgerland Off-Road has been a longtime partner of Bestop and currently runs a Trektop Glide on their Wrangler JKU and a Sunrider for Hardtop on their Gladiator JT. They’re also running the Bestop Core Doors on their JKU. “There’s nothing better than open air when you own a Jeep,” says Jenni. She always guides customers towards the premium twill fabric, insisting it’s a “worthwhile investment.”
Jenni and Mike are also heavily involved with the off-road community in their area, and often host beginner off-road basics classes for free. They strive to not only be the best of the best with the hardcore off-road community but also make new off-roaders feel comfortable and informed in their shop. “We want to be a support system to our customers,” says Jenni.
Jenni’s number one piece of advice to her customers is “excellence in customer service.” She stresses the importance of being “honest, fair, never upselling and listening to what they need.” The chance of the customer returning relies heavily on how much they trust the shop to build the Jeep exactly according to their vision, she said.
Badgerland Off-Road has a long list of accomplishments, not only securing a spot on Motorhead Garage, but also being a constant among SEMA’s featured vehicles. Jenni and Mike have done an incredible job of growing their shop and we have no doubt that more amazing things are to come.
