Central Maine Harley-Davidson
28 Years & Rumbling
BY : KEN WHITE , WCP , SALES MANAGER , F . A . PEABODY INSURANCE
Owner , Wendell Sproul on the right and his son , Clark in the Central Maine Harley motorcycle showroom
There are thousands of Harley-
Davidson dealerships in the U . S . Not many of them , however , have the rich and storied history of Central Maine Harley- Davidson . In terms of both family history and the memories of motorcycles , past and present , Central Maine Harley has a little bit of something for everyone . In 1988 , Wendell Sproul and his family established the company . At that time , Wendell was searching to provide a better life for both himself and his family . A welder for many years , he hung up his welding hat and gear and moved to Hermon , Maine to begin a new life .
The company started on a small scale and made do with the basics . It was initially established in an old barn . The strong lumber used in its creation and the classic post and beam structure from which it was made has stood the test of time , first being built in the late 1800s . Prior to Central Maine Harley , the building had housed Maine Motorcycle Sales , a company established in 1960 by Adrian Jones . Even then , the building doubled as a Harley-Davidson store and as a hay barn . Sales were slow , but this was partially due to the selectiveness that Adrian showed in his stock .
Once Wendell made the purchase , he and his family got to work with inventory and more . The walls and the exterior were reworked to to be more efficient , but the core structure was retained in order to maintain both the classic look of the building and the rich heritage . The second floor , which now serves as the motorcycle showroom , formerly housing parts , was updated with a refurbished I-beam which allowed the hoisting of motorcycles up and down from the new second floor showroom . Finally , a sales office was installed , along with a display window and overhead lights .
Today , Central Maine Harley-Davidson has an accessories showroom , pre-owned bike inventory , finance service , parts department , service department , rental service , riding academy , winter bike storage and , of course , a large inventory of new Harley-Davidson motorcycles .
Since the founding of the company , Clark and Charlie , Wendell ’ s sons , have joined the company and work there every day . Cheryl Oliver , his daughter , does commercial and voice-over work . Jaylyn , Wendell ’ s wife , also works alongside Wendell daily at the dealership . Wendell is thankful for the support shown by the local community . Just a couple of years back , the company donated a new motorcycle to a retired
Ken White , Sales Manager for F . A . Peabody Company , is the Agent for Central Maine Harley . Ken specializes in commercial retail , wholesale and manufacturing accounts .
Bangor police motorcycle officer . Giving back to the community that have given so much to them is one of the hallmarks of the Sproul family .
Central Maine Harley-Davidson has been in business for more than 25 years because of a combination of factors . They strive to provide high quality service and to create lifelong customers . From their initial start and until now , they have remained a part of the Harley-Davidson family while maintaining a local , independent flavor that is all their own . Wendell ’ s passion for the business and the strong family bonds that led to the creation of the company in 1988 have held true through the years .
Ken White on a Harley at Central Maine Harley
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