ASHLAND — A couple of years after he opened his motorcycle dealership in 1999, John Stafford was approached by a representative of Yamaha, a Japanese manufacturer of bikes, ATVs and musical instruments.
Would Stafford be interested, the rep wanted to know, in carrying the Yamaha product line?
“That was kind of an unusual situation,” Stafford said. “Usually, it’s the other way around.”
Stafford said yes, though. And, it turned out to be one of the best decisions he ever made.
“Within the first year, we had more than tripled our sales volume,” Stafford said.
In fact, sales of Yamaha motorcycles and ATVs were so strong that Stafford dropped the two makes that he started with, BMW and Triumph.
Now, six years later, Stafford Motorsports is one of the top Yamaha dealers in the U.S.
The company has recently selected Stafford’s as one of its three leading dealerships, out of more than 1,500 locations nationwide.
The other dealerships in the top three are in Denver and Oskosh, Wis., Stafford said.
The designation is based on a variety of criteria, including sales volume, customer satisfaction, decor of the business and the manner in which the dealership represents the Yamaha brand name within its market area, he said.
As part of the honor, Yamaha sent a film crew from Los Angeles to Ashland last week. The crew spent several days shooting footage of the dealership, its employees and its customers.
The footage will be edited into a short film to be shown on an IMAX screen at Yamaha’s national dealers’ convention Sept. 9 through 12 in Orlando, Fla. Some of the footage also could wind up in a television commercial, Stafford said.
About 30 riders gathered at the dealership Thursday evening and rode in formation as the camera crew filmed them at various locations in and around Ashland.
“They (the film crew) really liked the community and the way it looks,” Stafford said.
Stafford said he considered it a tremendous honor for his business to have been selected as one of Yamaha’s top dealers.
Stafford said his dealership will generally move about 500 bikes a year, something he said he never could have accomplished with BMW or Triumph, which both produce more specialized and high-dollar cycles.
“It (being a Yamaha dealer” has worked out great for us,” he said. “They’re a tremendous asset.”
Stafford’s was originally in the 2700 block of Greenup Avenue. Stafford subsequently moved the dealership into the same building that houses the offices of his energy company, at 1301 Greenup.
Stafford said he had recently purchased the former Ashland Oil annex building next door to the dealership and plans to demolish that facility to allow for the expansion of the facility and to create more customer parking.
Stafford’s, which carries Schwinn scooters and Johnny Pag choppers in addition to the Yamaha line, employs nine. The business is largely a family affair. Stafford’s middle son, Justin, is vice president; his youngest son, Jordan, is a part-time employee; his nephew, Dave Reffett, works in sales; his grandson, Trace, works in the repair shop; and his former daughter-in-law, Lisa Stafford, is a part-time title clerk.
Additionally, the dealership’s design was the work of Stafford’s wife, Nancy.
KENNETH HART can be reached at khart@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2654.
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