North Douglas Herald
Continued from Front Page
December 2024
Willamette Valley Motorplex Experience
out as a lot attendant washing vehicles in Washington
state when I was in high school”.
After completing high school, Josh eventually
worked his way up into the sales department..
“I did that for many years which ignited my
passion for sales. After my time selling I again
worked my way up to Finance Manager and spent
the next several years handling the paperwork for the
dealership and working with the banks”.
In 2012, Joshua moved to Idaho, where he
started a family and took a position as the General
Sales Manager of High Desert Harley-Davidson
in Boise, which is now Willamette Valley Harley-
Davidson’s sister store. At the beginning of 2023, he
got the opportunity to become a partner/owner at the
dealership in Eugene.
“My family and I moved to the greater Eugene
area and became part of the Willamette Valley
Motoplex community. I love this dealership and am
here from open to close, five days a week. The other
two days you can usually find me riding motorcycles
with my kids or fishing on a local river.”
I was curious about the subtle changes I was
seeing there on College Ave over the last couple of
years. First the addition of the Indian Dealership and
now the introduction of Royal Enfield and, now, the
unveiling of the Willamette Valley Motoplex as a
one stop motorcycle mall with every rider in mind.
I picked up the phone and found myself talking with
Josh. I could tell that he was a very busy guy but he
took time to chat with me about motorcycles and
his background in the industry. I could tell he was a
‘people person’. I told him I would like to hear more,
would he mind giving me a little tour and maybe a
little interview.
Without any advance warning and I didn’t have
an appointment, I randomly decided to stop in the
other day. I’ve been called brash and unpredictable,
‘sorry Josh’. When I walked in, I could see that
he was busy with sales staff and customers so I
wandered around looking at the bikes and parts,
accessories and apparel.
The first thing I noticed was the display with
a brand new Harley paired with a Stratocaster guitar,
with matching paint. It’s a Limited Edition Lowrider
ST Tobacco Fade and a matching Squire Stratocaster
in Tobacco Sunburst. That’s some pairing there.
Quite an impressive display of all of the above and
throughout the store, folks were browsing, picking
up items and talking to sales staff. Everywhere the
staff were busy and friendly with customers or busy
working with other workers around the place. I could
tell that there was a culture of customer care and
professional work ethic. I casually strolled around
taking pictures and soon I saw Josh nod towards
me and came to greet me with a big smile and
handshake.
Josh was surprised to see me but it
didn’t slow his smile or demeanor. He told me
he only had a minute as things were busy at that
moment. As we talked about all the motorcycles
and brands he mentioned that one of the directions
of focus is the sale of pre-owned motorcycles.
They are concentrating on a quality supply of used
motorcycles to bring into the market. After a few
minutes, I mentioned that being as I was there,
maybe I could get a quick interview. With the same
focus that I saw with customers and staff, he smiled
at me and took me, first, on a quick tour through the
service department. Introducing me to various co
workers along the way, he called a few over and we
snapped a few more pictures.
The Interview:
What’s your business philosophy and what
trends do you see for the future and what are your
plans for leading the Willamette Valley Motoplex into
that future.
Josh-
“We are here to serve and contribute to
our community. This is a people business first. As
a local, family run business, we want to provide an
environment where people feel valued. Whether they
are a customer, employee, vendor, etc. We go out of
our way to provide the best experience possible. We
love to see our motorcycling community grow more
and more every year. And now offer all Harley-
Davidson, Royal Enfield, and Indian Motorcycles.”
As to your part, towards the growth of that
community, what market (demographic) are
you reaching for with Harley-Davidson, Indian
Motorcycle and Royal Enfield?
Josh -
“Current riders, past riders, future riders,
as well as non riders. We have a lot to offer beyond
Motorcycles including amazing apparel and
merchandise. Everyone is welcome, please stop by
and say Hi. I always love to meet new people in the
community.”
Describe your staff and the company culture
and how it relates to the customer base that you are
developing and serving.
Josh -
“Our staff is a big family, our moto is
“Oregon’s Friendliest Dealership”, and we live by
that every day. We are a melting pot that come from
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all walks of life. We are also very family oriented
here and often times you’ll see kiddos here picking
out their very first Harley-Davidson electric bike or
Indian Motorcycle electric bike. Our goal is to help
build and nurture our motorcycling community. The
more people that discover motorcycling, the more
smiles there will be in the world. The fun, freedom,
wind therapy, and community is what it’s all about.”
I can see that you have folks are needing you and
I appreciate taking your time, Josh, are there any last
words to leave us with.
Josh -
“I would encourage anyone to come over
and check us out. We are open Tuesday- Sunday and
are known as ‘Oregon’s Friendliest Dealership’ for
a reason.”
And with that he was back in the fray, talking
and taking time with a customer, genuinely engaged
with them while attending to matters brought to him
by other staff members and not missing a beat.
I decided to grab a few pictures from the
Indian dealership next door and then meandered
around to the adjacent building on the south side of
the dealership. As I snapped a picture I recalled Josh
had just responded to my inquiry about the building
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