American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 234 January 2019 | Page 20

NEWS Veracka Family Adds Jet-City
BRIEFS Dealership as TMC Group Targets
Selling 10,000 Harleys in 2019
Cardo Systems and Bosch
SoftTec have come together to
integrate the Cardo Connect iOS
and Android smartphone
application into Bosch SoftTec
mySPIN for two-wheelers. “The
award-winning technology will
enable convenient use of Cardo
Connect on motorcycles and
other two-wheelers for a whole
new connected riding
experience without
compromising safety.” Once the
rider’s smartphone has been
connected to the motorcycle,
the bike’s display, as well as the
control knobs and buttons on
the handlebars, can be used to
access data on the phone and
control the rider’s favorite apps
and have a seamless interface
to manage and control Cardo
PACKTALK and FREECOM
communication systems.
BRP has reported +13.7% revenues
for Q3 at CAN $1,394.2 million,
increased net income of $90.2
million, increased diluted earnings
per share of $0.92 (+$0.25 per
share) and says its Q3 N.A.
Powersports retail outpaced the
industry at +6% (+16% excluding
snowmobiles). During the quarter
BRP completed the 100% acquisition
of Triton Industries (Lansing,
Michigan - a pontoon boat
manufacturer selling under the
Manitou brand) and introduced the
Can-Am Ryker, a new, lower price-
point, three-wheeled vehicle
platform.
The 2019 Republic of Texas Rally
(Travis County Expo Center,
Austin, June 13-16) has become
the latest show in the USA to
sign up as an Official Affiliate of
the AMD World Championship
of Custom Bike Building. The
event will cover the bike freight
and travel expenses for its
custom bike show winner to go
forward and compete at the
2020 ‘AMD’ in Germany. The
winner will be joined by 2018
and 2019 winners from the
Cherokee Blue Ridge Run which
is also an AMD Affiliate - the
2019 Rally will be in September.
S&S Cycle is shipping a 50 State 2:2
full exhaust system for ‘18-‘19 Softail
M-8 Fat Bob models - available
chrome or black with black end caps.
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Jet City Harley-Davidson in Renton,
Washington, is the latest authorized
Harley dealership to be acquired by
Michael Veracka’s ‘The Motorcycle
Company’ (TMC).
Formerly called Lawless Harley-
Davidson Renton, this is the eleventh
Harley dealership acquisition that the
Veracka family has been involved in,
but their story has deeper industry
roots even than that.
Dave Veracka started the family’s first
motorcycle dealership by opening a
Kawasaki franchise in Brockton,
Massachusetts, in the late 1970s.
Dave’s sons, Paul and Michael, grew up
in the dealership and each started
riding dirt bikes at the age of four.
Eventually Dave was able to fulfil his
dream of owning a Harley-Davidson
dealership in 2003, partnering with
long-time business associate Cooper
Friend with their purchase of Green
Mountain Harley-Davidson.
In 2005 they had the opportunity to
purchase Schott’s Harley-Davidson
located in Lewiston, Maine, and the
decision was made to split them into
two stores (L-A Harley-Davidson and
Central Maine Powersports), taking the
dealerships from 500 sold units to
1,600 units in a short time.
In 2007, Paul and Michael graduated
college and went to work at Central
Maine Powersports to learn the
business. In 2008, Paul and Michael
joined the family business and moved
with Dave from New England to Grand
Rapids, Michigan.
Despite a difficult economic downturn,
they partnered with the late Ed Lemco
AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - JANUARY 2019
on Grand Rapids Harley-Davidson in
2008, and as they say, the rest is
history. In 2010, the family made the
journey from Michigan to Olathe,
Kansas, to expand the business and
take on a new challenge with the
addition of Central H-D South, which
opened under the new name Rawhide
Harley-Davidson.
Rawhide went from one of the smallest
dealerships in the country to #2 in new
unit volume in 2012, not an easy
accomplishment, with the location in a
more remote area and limited
workforce availability.
In 2011 the family sold Grand Rapids
H-D in order to expand in their
hometown market of Boston and also
increase their presence west of the
Mississippi River. In 2012, Avalanche
H-D, Denver, CO, and High Octane H-
D, Billerica, MA, were added.
The next move came with the addition
of Riverside Harley-Davidson in
Riverside, California, in 2013 (formerly
known as Skip Fordyce H-D); the
second California location, Huntington
Beach H-D, located in Westminster, CA,
was added in 2015. Riverside Harley-
Davidson went on to become the
highest volume Harley-Davidson
dealership in the world in 2014, and
voted the ‘Best Place to Work’ in 2016.
Huntington Beach H-D would become
#4 in new unit volume in 2016, and for
the first time in the history of TMC
dealerships, would receive a Platinum
H-D Bar & Shield award in 2016. In
2016, the Verackas expanded to the
Southeast where Dave resides, with the
addition of Palm Beach Harley-
Davidson, which quickly became the
fastest growing dealership in Florida. In
June 2017, Avalanche H-D opened up
a brand-new 60,000 sq ft dealership in
the foothills of Golden, Colorado.
In early 2018, acquisition of Six Bends
Harley-Davidson in Fort Myers
increased their presence in Florida from
the Atlantic to the Gulf Coasts. In the
Spring of 2018 the Verackas returned
to Michigan, this time to the Detroit
metro area, with the purchase of
Motown Harley-Davidson. The
November 2018 acquisition of Jet City,
in the Seattle metro area, gives the
Veracka family a stake in the Pacific
Northwest for the first time.
TMC has access to the largest new
Harley-Davidson motorcycle inventory
in the world and states its ambitious
goal as being to “fulfil dreams by
delivering a premium customer
experience, creating customers for
life.”
“Our company allows us to take
existing stores that do an exceptional
job and build them into world class
facilities, while often doubling or
tripling the staff with top industry
professionals. Providing additional
training for the staff combined with
increased marketing, events and
inventory has proven successful across
the United States. We continue
introducing thousands of new Harley-
Davidson riders each year to the sport.”
Collectively, The Motorcycle Company
will sell over 10,000 Harley-Davidson
motorcycles in 2019, continuing to
strengthen its position as the largest
Harley-Davidson group in the world.
www.AMDchampionship.com