OPPAA hosts milestone 40th anniversary annual meeting
The Outdoor Power Parts & Accessories Association marked four decades of industry leadership with its largest annual meeting turnout in 10 years, drawing nearly 100 attendees to Orlando, Florida.
Founded in 1986, OPPAA is a member-driven organization focused on expanding the availability and quality of replacement parts and accessories for the outdoor power equipment industry. The association recently celebrated its 40th anniversary at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, combining a milestone celebration with forward-looking discussions about the industry’s future.
The meeting featured speakers who addressed applied artificial intelligence, market and retail trends, regulatory developments and long-term business planning. Presenters included Adrienne Spear of OpenBrand, Brandon Lassiter of ProfitOptics, Gene Marks of The Marks Group, Grant Farnsworth of The Farnsworth Group and Greg Knott of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute.
OPPAA said networking and relationship building remained central to the event, highlighting the strength of its member community across manufacturers, parts companies and distributors.
The association works to advocate for the outdoor power equipment parts and accessories sector by supporting industry standards, influencing legislative and regulatory processes and promoting a healthy sales channel. It also provides members with market data, trends and education while facilitating communication among industry stakeholders. The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute has managed OPPAA since 2010.
During the annual meeting, the association announced its 2026-2027 board of directors:
President: Rick Jackson, Oregon Tool
Vice president: Shawn Carothers, Toro
Secretary-treasurer: John Walker, Dometic
Immediate past president: Jim Depolo, VP Racing Fuels
Directors include Todd Geyer of Gardner Inc., Chris Roessler of Rotary, Craig Smith of Stens, Darold Dunham of Power Distributors, Ryan Koch of Rehlko, Carissa Gingras of Briggs & Stratton and Dan Jernberg of Whirltronics. Dave Johnson of Constellation will serve as observer.
OPPAA represents more than 40 organizations across the outdoor power equipment supply chain and continues to focus on protecting member interests while supporting long-term industry sustainability.
