Several years later, after realizing there was no strong succession plan in place, they decided to sell. We attempted to go to market briefly, but realized the timing wasn’t right as Pete and Lori still had family in the business and weren’t fully ready to exit. “I visited them at Open Road and discussed the preparation of selling their dealership. “I first met with Pete and Lori nearly seven years ago,” adds Chaconas. We strongly recommend this duo of high-integrity professionals if you’re thinking of buying or selling.” Courtney was onsite at the closing and made sure the entire process was fluid and seamless. The favorable introduction to the buyers of our dealership resulted in a great fit for our market and our succession plan. “Staying in touch with George and his associate Courtney was beneficial in so many ways with their great knowledge of the powersports business and being well-networked. “When the time was right to sell, how we went about selling our dealership was as important to us as who would become our successors,” says Thiel. When they started working with Performance Brokerage on an exit strategy, they wanted to ensure the next owners would continue the legacy they were riding away from. Over the years, the dealership stayed true to the core values upon which it was established and built a community of riders that knew they would always be treated fairly when visiting the dealership. Thiel created a monthly event for fellow female riders that was a huge success and created a lot of excitement for new female riders. They quickly recognized that being customer focused and elevating the overall dealership experience would set them apart. In 2007, they acquired Open Road Harley-Davidson and merged their professional backgrounds with their passion for motorcycle riding. They both had careers in the finance industry and shared a love of the open road. Pete Johnson and Lori Thiel met by chance at Sturgis. In a deal brokered by George Chaconas and Courney Bernhard, the long-time friends and business partners acquired Open Road Harley-Davidson, bringing their total dealership count between them to four. They both knew that when the opportunity to own a Harley-Davidson dealership in their hometown presented itself, they could not pass it up. Stepping into the ownership are Matt Chiappetta and Bruce Miner. Pete Johnson and Lori Thiel made the monumental decision to sell their dealership, Open Road Harley-Davidson in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, after a 15-year run.
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