Harley-Haven

Business People, Aug 01, 2006 by Smith, Ann

The bright, expansive showroom gleams with shiny chrome and colorful models. All things Harley are on display - clothing, tableware, pet accessories and furniture are just part of the vast collection of merchandise for sale. This is no ordinary motorcycle dealership; and one visit to Ehlerding's River City Harley-Davidson on Hwy. 930 between Fort Wayne and New Haven will dispel any connection to that assumption. The open, two-story arrangement allows the company's president, Don Ehlerding, to view the action below from his second floor office perch - and there's much to observe, both at the Harley facility and at the Honda dealership, known as Ehlerding MotorSports, next door.

The Ehlerding name has a 41-year tradition of motorcycle sales in teh northeast Indiana area, the successful evolution of a disappointing trip to a dealership when 15 year old Ehlerding and his father, Ed, were ignored by a salesman while looking for a bike. The experience caused them to leave the store and write the manufacturer for the lcoation of another nearby dealer. Instead of answering the question, the manufacturer asked if the Ehlerdings would be interested in opening a dealership of their own at their Decatur dairy farm. Their mechanical competence gve them the confidence to accept the offer and the young Ehlerding began selling and servicing Kawasaki motorcycles after classes at high school.

The business continued in Decatur for 10 years and them relocated to New Haven, about a quarter mile east of its present location.

In 1985, Ehlerdng's opened at its present site. A major remodeling in 2004 resulted in the current two structures, the 40,000 square foot Harley-Davidson dealership and a Honda dealership next door in a small facility. The choice to limit sales efforts to these two manufacturers in 2004 was a hard one for Ehlerding. The company had strong relationships with other companies whose motorcycles Ehlerding had sold for many years.

Throughout the years Ehlerding has been in business, family members and neighbors have joined the company, including his brothers Dale and Darrell, his sister Alice, his nephew Jeremy and farm neighbor Denny Werling. Ehlerding says the dealership has been a training ground for many friends and acquaintances who have worked at the dealership. He compares his business to the long hours of his previous line of employment. "Sometimes I think retail is almost like working on a dairy farm," he says, "Except in most cases the motorcycle business is only six days a week rather than seven."

Nonetheless, these days he believes the benefits are worth the effort. "The industry has matured," he says. "The employment opportunities, combined with the relatively low cost of living in the area, make motor sports a good career choice for people. Working with motorcycles has a draw for some people who feel a sense of adventure from being connected to the product."

Along with good compensation and the appeal of the product, River City offers employees significant training opportunities, including inhouse consultnat led progrmas and seminar attendance in other locales. "We have experts come in three to five times a year for all day programs about customer service and other related topics," Ehlerding says. "Manufacturers offer product related training on site an dthrough videos."

The management staff, called the "leadership team" at River City, attends annual Harley Davidson University. This Orlando based program is an intense three days of courses covering issues of safety, legal matters, employment training, and motivation. The Honda crew attends a similar school near Dayton. Technicians attend four day sessions at various locations throughout the country to focus on particular phases of repair.

The training is important because it gives River City and Ehlerding MotorSports another competitive edge in attracting and keeping customers. Ehlerding has seen fluctuating demands for motorcycles over the years. "There was phenomenal growth in the 1970's until the recession of the 80's, followed by an upswing in the mid 80's and a huge decline in the 90's," he says. "Sales now show a steady increase each year. But that means that instead on anticipating automatic growth, we have to work harder and be better than the competition to keep our sales growing at a steady pace." He believes that it's the company's attitude toward the customer that differentiates it from other dealerships. "We do all kinds of things to attract people here, but we never forget that our existing customers are our first priority." Programs like "Rider Rewards," that offer owners rebate points on product and service purchases, are designed to promote customer loyalty. In addition, River City makes a point of making sure the sale is appropriate for the buyer. "Our philosophy is to help people choose a product that best suits their needs and desires," He says. "Sometimes customers choose a model that's simply not suitable for their needs or riding experience.