History

1967 Duane Spader started an RV dealership in Brookings, S.D., with $1,000. A couple of years later, he moved his business to Sioux Falls, S.D.

1975 Duane hired Noel Lais (current Vice President of Operations) as his dealership bookkeeper, mentioning there could be some travel with the job because he had plans to create a franchise system for RV dealers.

1977 With Noel’s help to organize the financial reporting, Duane began the first Spader 20 Group in the RV industry, soon followed by a 20 Group for the marine industry.

1978 Duane and Noel launched Profit Power RV Computer Transactions, designed to make dealership management easy with Key Expense Ratios. Dealers mailed in their info, which was hand-keyed into a mainframe computer service located in downtown Sioux Falls.

1980 Encouraged by members of his 20 Group to teach them about the dealership management systems he had been creating, Duane conducted the first Total Management 1 course.  Eight marine dealers participated in his RV showroom in Sioux Falls using repurposed school desks and overhead transparencies. Duane’s wife, Elaine, served home-cooked meals.

1982 SpaderSoft was launched when members of one 20 Group financed a project to develop DOS-based software for marine and RV dealerships (who were just beginning to be able to afford personal computers for their businesses). Grand Ledger and Sales Analysis were first installed beginning in 1983.

1983–84 Brunswick (Mercury Marine) purchased all of Duane’s available training time. Training for the service department was added.

1984 Brunswick Corporation partnered with SpaderSoft, which was renamed MercSpader Software. Spader resumed ownership in the mid-1980s and through 1999. More than 700 dealerships in several industries installed Spader software, with many still using the software today.

1980s  Duane met Dr. Michael O’Connor at a DISC personal style assessment training event and began a 30+ year friendship and business alliance. DISC was eventually incorporated into the Total Management 1 course.

1990  Duane and Noel drafted the first version of the company’s Mission Statement and Values with the assistance of Dr. O’Connor.

1991  John Spader joined the company as a sales trainer.

1992 John Spader spearheaded the expansion of 20 Groups into the farm equipment industry and the lighting showroom industry.

1990s Training offerings expanded to include sales training and parts department training. All types of courses were now provided, including many sponsored by manufacturers in several vertical markets, with a curriculum today that would span more than 10 weeks of continuous training.

1998  The first 20 group for service & parts department managers launched. 20 groups expanded into the powersports and motor coach industries. The office furniture industry was added in 1999.

1999  Bell & Howell (now ADP) purchased rights to future development of Spader Software in a Microsoft Windows platform.

2002  John Spader became President of Spader Business Management.

2004  20 groups expanded into the trailer industry.

2005  The first Total Management 2 course was conducted in Sioux Falls.

2009  The company launched the True* online dashboards reporting system.

2010  Spader Business Management merged resources with Life Associates, bringing Dr. O’Connor on board as a full-time resource and Executive Vice President.

2012  A strategic partnership with the Rainier Group was developed to provide business transition and succession consulting services.

2012  Duane Spader fully retired from Spader Business Management.

2015 Spader Business Management purchased Jerkins Consulting and expanded course offerings for the Farm Equipment industry.

2016 Spader Business Management celebrated 40 years.