MEMBER PROFILE: ROAD AND SPORT MOTORCYCLES, HAMILTON

because you don’t have enough of it, it is always after you.”

Daughter Hannah is now in the driving seat as Operations Manager. Help is only a phone call away with Barry and mum Shelly supporting her from their home office.

“Since I was three or four years old, I’ve been telling all my family that I would run the business one day,” Hannah says. But it hasn’t been as simple as walking in the door and being given a job.

Sacked by Mum

“When I left school, I came and worked here when I was 17, and obviously working for your parents at 17 is challenging and I got sacked by my mum.

“She was nice and said, ‘I don’t think this is working,’ so I went and worked for a trucking company for 10 years.

“I started off there as the office lady and was general manager by the time I left, and that was the right time for me to come back to the business.”

When she did, there was still a lot to learn and over the years she’s spent time working in all departments, except for training as a technician.

“I’m only in my first year as

Operations Manager, I started in service and then finance, and insurance and I can do every aspect of the business except the technician job.

“I have got all the tools for success, I was bought up with a good work ethic and I am quite close with Barry and Shelly, and I speak with Mum multiple times a day,” she says.

Barry says he’s still full-time in terms of running the business but isn’t full-time on site.

“It is really important that my involvement is structured and is not too invasive, it is a bit of a balancing act,” he says.

Strategy

“That is a strategy of mine, if I keep on coming to work every day then then there is no point of a succession plan.”

Added support for Hannah is husband Blair, who runs the parts department.

And with things running smoothly, Barry and Hannah have a trip planned down to the South Island in November, on Harleys of course, for the 120th Anniversary National Hog Rally in Cromwell.

More than a motorbike

All the family has various models of Harleys and Barry has several classics he’s bought over the years.

The reason he decided to change from Suzuki to American iron in the ’90s is rooted in the efforts of Morgan & Wacker HarleyDavidson Australia who were instrumental in rebuilding the brand in the South Pacific.

They are the second-oldest Harley dealer in the world, Barry says, and are “people-first people,” and that’s what Barry liked.

It’s also the comradery that goes with the brand that they love, and part of that is the Harley Owners Group (HOG). It has a worldwide membership of over a million Harley owners and any member who needs help and has their HOG badge will receive help.

“It’s a huge clan of people and if you are on a Harley and are a HOG member, you’ll have a bed for the night and people will even fix your bike for you.”

“It’s more than just motorcycle ownership.”