It’s said that our cars reveal a lot about ourselves. For many generations, cars have profoundly impacted society and significantly altered our way of life. On the one hand, it has improved commuting, travel, and emergency services, while on the other, it has redefined freedom, independence, and convenience. Taking this a step further, technology and human imagination have combined to breed luxury cars—stunning vehicles that offer a true luxury experience. The exclusive service, top-tier technology, and thrilling performance make it stand out among other cars.
The exponential rise of luxury cars has also fuelled innovation for recreational vans (RV), bringing luxury vans into the picture. Compared to travel trailers or full-blown motorhomes, luxury vans are more compact, accommodate the functions of a motorcoach, and offer a more practical solution to travel anywhere for various purposes, making them the perfect recreational vehicles. Even better, one can simply work inside it while gazing out their windows at the breathtaking scenery that their chosen location has to offer.
Luxury vans have gained popularity in developed countries like the US because of their versatility, comfort, and ability to offer an exclusive off-the-grid lifestyle. Intrigued by this, our editorial team searched the market for a brand that has demonstrated consistency and dedication to keeping its word. Ultimate Toys was one brand that stood out. We spoke with its president, Mr. Josh Green, about his story and vision, as well as how the brand is redefining the luxury experience.
BECOMING A NATIONWIDE PROBLEM-SOLVER
The most successful businesses are usually born out of a personal need. Gary Green is an esteemed businessman who has spent four decades building successful companies in a variety of industries in over 18 countries around the world. He had a converted 15-ton, 45-foot luxury Prevost bus but was tired of the high maintenance costs. As an avid traveler, he sought a practical solution that housed the luxury and function of his motorcoach.
The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter hit the market around this time. Despite its ideal size, Gary reached the conclusion that his bus was the finest on the market for functionality and utility. He enlisted his son Josh’s help in shaping his distributorship concept and providing the ultimate solution for others facing a similar dilemma. They collaborated with a top-tier builder to create the most opulent and feasible portfolio in the Sprinter category, and as a result, Ultimate Toys was founded.
On the surface, the brand is a distributorship of luxury lifestyle vehicles. It offers a diverse line of products, including Mercedes-Benz Sprinters, RAM ProMasters, custom Jeeps, and towable campers. Ultimate Toys has become a popular brand in a variety of backgrounds and demographics, but the majority of its clients are from the middle to upper classes in the US.
BUILDING THE REP
While the brand was Gary’s idea, Josh has been the heart of this brand’s growth. However, turning it into one that is recognized hasn’t been easy. Younger than six years old, the brand needed a few years to get off the ground and build a solid reputation in the marketplace. Afterwards, over the past two years, they have particularly focused on exponential growth. “We’ve seen it across the board in everything from our revenue nearly doubling, team nearly tripling, to our product offerings quadrupling,” says Josh. Meanwhile, everyone onboard has worked tirelessly to establish the brand, scale up manufacturing relationships, innovate offerings, and cement an unparallel team of professionals.
All of this demonstrates Josh’s vision for carving out a niche for Ultimate Toys. He is a people-centered leader who enjoys challenges, particularly those that help others succeed. His tenacity and entrepreneurial spirit enable him to inspire others and set a good example. He feels that the core to Ultimate Toys’ success is a collaborative effort among employees, clients, and vendor partners, with a focus on human capital yielding phenomenal results.
ADOPTIVE TO CHANGING CLIENT NEEDS
“We are not in this business only to thrive but also to renovate the experience of traveling in vehicles,” says Josh. Since COVID, the RV market has grown rapidly, owing to an uptick in road trips as a means of escaping quarantine, an increase in campers, and a sharp rise in the demand for comfortable travel and space for large passenger groups. Clients now demand more from suppliers than just bells and whistles, including accompanying service, benefits, and experiences. Nobody enjoys visiting a dealer’s lot in the digital age, being accosted by smooth salesmen, and feeling dissatisfied upon leaving, no matter if they make a purchase.
Ultimate Toys has a digital-first service model to challenge the status quo and excel at meeting clients’ needs. The team puts the needs of the client and the relationship first, making sure the experience is exceptional from the very beginning to the end of ownership. Furthermore, unlike its competitors, the brand designs and crafts all vehicles for multiple purposes. “Whether for business and entertainment, standard luxury commuting, a night on the town, tailgating for sporting events, or however our clients want to experience life,” Josh says. This means that Ultimate Toys allows customers to live their lives as they see fit. Its focus has shifted from being a world-class distributor to becoming a well-known lifestyle brand over the years. The brand is establishing a standard for “best-in-class” products with its innovative programs and world-class customer service.
UPDATED WITH MARKET INNOVATIONS
Even though Ultimate Toys doesn’t engage in direct production, partnering with those who do allows them to stay abreast of industry insights. These allow it to concentrate on activities that it can manage rather than providing creative direction. This includes, but is not limited to, process efficiency and improvement, technological automation, client communication, team onboarding and training, and a digital-first purchasing experience.
Technology has been a major distinction in the brand’s success. Everyone on board is knowledgeable about the modern contours of the market they serve. This greatly helps in disrupting the status quo from the beginning, staying lean and making inroads, and continuously aiming to create a best-in-class experience through technical methods. Where brands only consider “made” for the industry, inside-the-box solutions and ignore better, Josh looks out for more flexible and scalable, outside-the-box ideas. Ultimate Toys is outfitted with cutting-edge tools and software that not only play well together but also mark them as “sui generis” of their field.
THE FERVENT PEOPLE BEHIND ITS SUCCESS
As mentioned earlier, all the innovations and technology are the cornerstones of Ultimate Toys. However, this cannot outweigh the value it places on people. “We prioritize our team above all in order to maintain a top level of service,” says Josh. As the brand’s chieftain, building a holistic culture is something he takes pride in. He looks up to leading CEOs around the world—how they have built astounding cultures on the principles of transparency, honesty, integrity, and teamwork.
In the same vein, the brand devotes significant time and resources to cultivating a world-class culture. Josh understands that a well-founded culture starts from the top, which is why their team members are routinely exercised, challenged, improved, and rewarded. He focuses on business sustainability without any kind of sacrifice or retreat. This ensures the team’s employment and helps the brand grow and remain prominent in the market. The team is trained with tools and support to exceed even the toughest client expectations. They are also supplemented with technology upgrades to automate and streamline many administrative and repetitive tasks for cost-savings, process efficiency, data collection, and client satisfaction. All of these come together to inspire ownership and foster engagement amongst team members.
JOSH GREEN: A ‘REALIST’ LEADER OF THIS AGE
Even though he possesses all the skills of a futurist, Josh complements himself as a realist. While managing a nationwide distributorship frequently requires him to forecast what will happen next, he routinely focuses on what he can control. He follows a quote from Bill Keane, “Yesterday is the past, tomorrow is the future, today is the present, and that’s why they call it a gift.”
Even though planning forward has many advantages, he makes an effort to be present and thankful for what he now has. In the meantime, he maintains an open mind to accept change—not primarily for the sake of innovation. He upholds a general philosophy of accepting innovation, originality, and direct criticism from his group of colleagues and reliable allies. Josh believes that when a tried-and-true solution may already exist and be just what is required, leaders frequently try to reinvent the wheel out of vanity or sloth. Instead of making outlandish choices, he sets an example for others to follow by overcoming the most difficult obstacles and dealing with both success and failure along the road. This always maintains a “X” factor in the culture.
His attention to sustainability while staying in the present helps him plan, whether it’s through cautious budgeting, holding back extra funds for a rainy day, routinely reviewing finances, procedures, and staff, or investing in areas where there are clear returns on investment. “While doing so, if the situation arises for a vague ROI,” says Josh, “we consciously restrict our exposure while still ensuring we may learn and gain something from the investment.”
BESTOWED WITH PRESTIGIOUS MILESTONES
Beginning with a mission to be a “problem solver,” Ultimate Toys has built a place in the hearts and minds of its clients. By early 2022, it had completed its 2000th vehicle. “As a company less than 6 years old, we achieved that milestone in at least 5-10 fewer years than an average competitor in our industry,” says Josh proudly. Alongside this, Josh’s leadership and his collaboration won Ultimate Toys many prestigious accolades:
With proud milestones and prestigious accolades, Ultimate Toys is poised to make great strides. In fact, according to Josh, there are many meaningful goals and aspirations in the works. “What we’ve accomplished is just the tip of the iceberg as there are plenty of growth opportunity to continue serving our mission and clients,” signs off Josh.
A FEW PEARLS OF ADVICE
While winding up our conversation, we requested Josh to share some “pearls of enlightenment.” To this, he shared many things that today’s entrepreneurs should look out for. Below are a few notable mentions:
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Business Talk is a digital business magazine that caters to CEOs, Entrepreneurs, VC, and Corporates. While working with entrepreneurs and business executives, we focus not only on their achievements. Our mission is to shed light on business entities, including their innovations, technological benchmarks, USPs, and milestones/accolades.
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