The 2026 NTP-Stag Expo began in earnest Tuesday evening when the show floor opened and thousands of attendees made their way through the doors to the cheers of green-clad NTP-Stag employees.
By that time, the distributor hosted over 40 educational sessions, a keynote speech and a business presentation.
NTP-Stag President Bill Rogers made his annual state of the industry presentation during the lunch session. Rogers said the company’s RV business was down over the first six months of 2025 but rebounded into positive territory in the second half of the year. He said the shift to a positive RV market is expected to continue in 2026.
The company’s delivery and customer service metrics improved in 2025. Delivery miles driven rose 7% from the previous years. NTP-Stag had delivered packages on time over 97% of the time. Accurate deliveries were made over 99% of the time.
On the customer service side, the abandonment rate of calls improved to just 3.8% of all calls. Calls to customer support averaged 19 seconds until they were picked up. Calls to service averaged just 38 seconds.
Rogers also took time to address news about the company’s potential sale by parent company LKQ, the first time Rogers publicly addressed the issue with NTP-Stag customers.
“Our parent company, LKQ, put out a press release in December that talked about the exploration of a possible sale of our business,” Rogers said. “Obviously, that impacts our associates and others in the industry.”
Rogers said in the 15 years he has been with the distributor, he has experienced three ownership changes.
He said, “Our thought is that it offers opportunities.”
He said LKQ Corp. has placed no timeline on when or if a sale could take place.
“It might be that they do the exploring and there is no change,” he said, “but the possibility is out there.”
Former United States Air Force fighter pilot Anthony “AB” Bourke was the breakfast’s keynote speaker Tuesday. He discussed the similarities of conducting successful military missions and meeting business goals.
Bourke said pre-mission briefings and post-mission debriefs are essential, whether mission participants are in the military or a corporate office.
Bourke referred to the debrief as a sacred space where names and ranks are unimportant and valuable feedback is given freely. He encouraged business owners to take a similar approach when training and instructing employees.
Following breakfast, vendors led 45-minute sessions featuring new products and services.
Companies including Dometic, Dragonfly Energy, Gen-Y Hitch and Lippert presented a look at recently released products and those that will arrive in the months to come.
After lunch, attendees returned to educational seminars until the show floor opened at 5 p.m.
Thousands were reportedly in attendance as the show doors opened and business quickly began. Hughes Autoformers and Blue Ox held “Power Hours,” where they offered special discounts on orders placed within that hour, on the show’s first day.
The opening day of one of the largest aftermarket distribution expos in the country ended with a dinner and prize drawing before closing at 9 p.m.
Attendees return this morning for a full day of show floor wheeling and dealing before a closing reception begins at 5:30 p.m.
