ScottyR
Husqvarna
AA Class
It is with much sadness that I announce that Ross Rocher Sales will no longer be a Husqvarna dealer effective June 30/12.
Last summer we were approached by Loblaws Grocery Stores about building a No Frills Store on our property. Several developers had shown interest in this property over the last 10yrs and none of the deals ever came to fruition so I didn’t expect much with this one. Finally, an offer with no conditions was presented to my dad that he could not say no to and he accepted.
This left me in a tough spot on what to do with my future? Our little bike shop was going gang busters but I was not that naive to realize that Stratford was not the ideal long term location for a niche market dirt bike shop. I was left with 2 options. 1. Relocate my family closer to London or even more extreme, Toronto. My oldest daughter is 14 and I did not feel it was fair to move my family at this stage in their lives to a city where they knew no one. Also, my wife is an RN with 15 yrs seniority and she would have to give up her straight days, Monday to Friday job to take a bottom of the totem pole position. Option 2. Relocate the shop closer to a major city and commute 1-1.5hrs each way to work every day. This would be OK for a short while, but I already am away from home too much and the thought of getting home every night at 9pm and working every Sat would burn me out in less than a year. Chances are I would end up divorced at some point if I was away this much as well.
After a lot of soul searching with my family and some close friends, I decided it was time to seek out new ventures and close the shop down. This was a very difficult decision. I LOVE the bike business and will miss it dearly.
When this little shop was started 7yrs ago, it was supposed to be a hobby that allowed me to hide a bike and some parts in my car dealership inventory and have a bit of fun at the same time. This hobby turned into North America's biggest volume Husqvarna dealership in 2009 and I was consistently a Husaberg top 3 Canadian dealer in bike and parts sales every year since 07. This made me very proud especially after being told by a certain manufacturer rep that my place was a joke and we would never become anything.
The best part of this business is the relationships that have developed. Many of my customers have turned into close friends and for that I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart. You guys know who you are. For the others, I still want to thank you for your business over the years. I appreciated the opportunity to serve you. I know I wasn’t perfect, but I tried my best.
Although I am taking a hiatus for the summer, I am not gone from the off-road world. I have a couple of “irons in the fire” right now so don’t be surprised to see me re-appear later in the year. I can assure you that the “truckload sales” are not a thing of the past.
I am hoping my new found unemployment will allow me some time to ride my bike this summer and hang out with some friends. Hopefully, I will be able to take part in some of the rides that I hear about from customers but can never attend because I am too busy working.
Well, now that the bad news is over, I will let you know that my parts/service manager, Rob Lang is taking over the shop and moving it to a new location in Dorchester, ON. I don’t want to steal his thunder so I will let him make his announcements, but I can personally guarantee that all of our customers will be treated just like normal. Rob is taking our parts inventory and all the specialized tools so he can service your bike like the way you have come to expect. Expect Robs new shop to be up and running mid/late June. I will post his contact info on this board as soon as he irons all the final details out.
In conclusion, I want to thank each and every one of you and I hope to see you out on the trails this summer.
Sincerely,
Scott Rocher
Last summer we were approached by Loblaws Grocery Stores about building a No Frills Store on our property. Several developers had shown interest in this property over the last 10yrs and none of the deals ever came to fruition so I didn’t expect much with this one. Finally, an offer with no conditions was presented to my dad that he could not say no to and he accepted.
This left me in a tough spot on what to do with my future? Our little bike shop was going gang busters but I was not that naive to realize that Stratford was not the ideal long term location for a niche market dirt bike shop. I was left with 2 options. 1. Relocate my family closer to London or even more extreme, Toronto. My oldest daughter is 14 and I did not feel it was fair to move my family at this stage in their lives to a city where they knew no one. Also, my wife is an RN with 15 yrs seniority and she would have to give up her straight days, Monday to Friday job to take a bottom of the totem pole position. Option 2. Relocate the shop closer to a major city and commute 1-1.5hrs each way to work every day. This would be OK for a short while, but I already am away from home too much and the thought of getting home every night at 9pm and working every Sat would burn me out in less than a year. Chances are I would end up divorced at some point if I was away this much as well.
After a lot of soul searching with my family and some close friends, I decided it was time to seek out new ventures and close the shop down. This was a very difficult decision. I LOVE the bike business and will miss it dearly.
When this little shop was started 7yrs ago, it was supposed to be a hobby that allowed me to hide a bike and some parts in my car dealership inventory and have a bit of fun at the same time. This hobby turned into North America's biggest volume Husqvarna dealership in 2009 and I was consistently a Husaberg top 3 Canadian dealer in bike and parts sales every year since 07. This made me very proud especially after being told by a certain manufacturer rep that my place was a joke and we would never become anything.
The best part of this business is the relationships that have developed. Many of my customers have turned into close friends and for that I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart. You guys know who you are. For the others, I still want to thank you for your business over the years. I appreciated the opportunity to serve you. I know I wasn’t perfect, but I tried my best.
Although I am taking a hiatus for the summer, I am not gone from the off-road world. I have a couple of “irons in the fire” right now so don’t be surprised to see me re-appear later in the year. I can assure you that the “truckload sales” are not a thing of the past.
I am hoping my new found unemployment will allow me some time to ride my bike this summer and hang out with some friends. Hopefully, I will be able to take part in some of the rides that I hear about from customers but can never attend because I am too busy working.
Well, now that the bad news is over, I will let you know that my parts/service manager, Rob Lang is taking over the shop and moving it to a new location in Dorchester, ON. I don’t want to steal his thunder so I will let him make his announcements, but I can personally guarantee that all of our customers will be treated just like normal. Rob is taking our parts inventory and all the specialized tools so he can service your bike like the way you have come to expect. Expect Robs new shop to be up and running mid/late June. I will post his contact info on this board as soon as he irons all the final details out.
In conclusion, I want to thank each and every one of you and I hope to see you out on the trails this summer.
Sincerely,
Scott Rocher
