zeitgeist57 Posted February 19, 2019 Report Share Posted February 19, 2019 https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/02/19/ricart-getting-into-the-motorcycle-business-by.amp.html That’s a strong move...especially as H-D is on the ropes. Great time to buy the business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTQ B4U Posted February 19, 2019 Report Share Posted February 19, 2019 Ricart Automotive is getting in the motorcycle business. The Columbus-based auto dealership is acquiring the three-store A.D. Farrow Harley-Davidson dealership for an undisclosed sum. “Harley-Davidson is a brand our family is passionate about,” President Rick Ricart said in an interview. “This is an opportunity for us to diversify.” Bob Althoff, who has owned A.D. Farrow for 18 years, will maintain a minority ownership share in the business and will stay on as a partner. “My kids aren’t in the business,” Althoff told me. “I can’t live forever, but family can. That’s the A.D. Farrow name, the Ricart name. I could have brought this to the national market, but I needed to hand this off to better, strong hands. They’re going to do just fine.” The two sides have been discussing a deal for more than a year, both Ricart and Althoff confirmed. A.D. Farrow was founded in 1912. The deal includes the Franklinton dealership at 491 W. Broad St., the store and real estate at NorthStar in Sunbury, and the Centennial Park dealership in Pataskala. The Pataskala dealership will be relocated to 5840 Scarborough Blvd. just off Brice Road, a nearly 3-acre site acquired by a Ricart affiliate in January 2018 for $1.5 million, according to Franklin County property records. The plan is to brand the stores as “A.D. Farrow powered by #1 Ricart.” “The A.D. Farrow name has a 107-year history in Central Ohio,” Ricart said. "For us to eliminate that would be ridiculous.” A.D. Farrow has 55 full-time employees and 30 part-time. “This is a different industry for us,” Ricart said. “We’re looking forward to getting to know the employees and figuring out how to grow.” Though a new business for Ricart, the family knows the brand well as customers. Ricart himself owns a 2014 Street Glide and he estimated his extended family owns 20 Harley-Davidsons. “They’re good guys with deep roots,” Althoff said. “They’re riders. They’re customers of ours. They get it.” Ricart said that unlike the auto industry, Harley-Davidson is a lifestyle brand. While a car or truck is mostly about moving the driver from point A to point B, loyal Harley lovers have a deeper affinity for their motorcycles, which have entire events and clothing lines built around that name. But it isn’t just that traditional Harley that had Ricart intrigued. Ricart praised the brand’s research and development efforts in recent years, both in its efforts to make engines better and more efficient (while not losing that signature sound or muscle) and its work on new products including electric options, off-road capable bikes and scooters. Harley-Davidson announced plans for a new R&D facility in Silicon Valley to focus on electric vehicles last fall and showed off a trio of scooters at the annual CES event in January in Las Vegas. Being able to offer those products, in addition to the traditional motorcycles, the array of auto brands and a growing fleet business, is part of Ricart’s vision to support a larger mobility footprint and alternative transportation, Ricart said. A.D. Farrow bills itself as America’s oldest Harley dealer, founded in 1912 by Alfred D. Farrow and his wife Lilly Farrow. Farrow’s shop originated in Nelsonville and moved to Columbus in 1924. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimTaylor751647545500 Posted February 19, 2019 Report Share Posted February 19, 2019 AD is getting destroyed on social media over this one. Loyal customers now saying they will go elsewhere due to poor experiences with Ricart in the past. I'll be going to No Cages for any parts and service work I need going forward as well. And I'm only 10 minutes from AD in Sunbury. And closing Centennial to open a location on Brice Road is a terrible decision. People enjoyed the ride out to Pataskala and the events they scheduled at that location. Nobody wants to deal with Brice Road traffic on a Harley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cordell Posted February 19, 2019 Report Share Posted February 19, 2019 Thanks for copying that Tim. Compared to most people in the automotive business the Ricart family is right up at the top. I wish they’d buy another GM franchise. It’s cool to see them doing this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cordell Posted February 19, 2019 Report Share Posted February 19, 2019 AD is getting destroyed on social media over this one. Loyal customers now saying they will go elsewhere due to poor experiences with Ricart in the past. I'll be going to No Cages for any parts and service work I need going forward as well. And I'm only 10 minutes from AD in Sunbury. And closing Centennial to open a location on Brice Road is a terrible decision. People enjoyed the ride out to Pataskala and the events they scheduled at that location. Nobody wants to deal with Brice Road traffic on a Harley. Pretty sure Harley-Davidson has been pushing for all dealers to be on major interstates for a awhile now. Something for people traveling on Harleys to stop at and buy merchandise. So I’m not surprised at all they would move it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion Posted February 19, 2019 Report Share Posted February 19, 2019 Well, given that the location in Sunbury has had their incidental traffic go up by like 1000% in the last few year due to the outlet mall (and it will continue to go up as they build that new amusement park up there), it probably is a pretty damned good move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimTaylor751647545500 Posted February 19, 2019 Report Share Posted February 19, 2019 Pretty sure Harley-Davidson has been pushing for all dealers to be on major interstates for a awhile now. Something for people traveling on Harleys to stop at and buy merchandise. So I’m not surprised at all they would move it. Yeah, traveling south, there are a ton of locations off 75. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBQdDude Posted February 19, 2019 Report Share Posted February 19, 2019 "the Centennial Park dealership in Pataskala" I thought they were relocating to 70 and 310. There has been activity there next to the Duke and Duchess. A friend told me the Centennial location was moving there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurboRust Posted February 20, 2019 Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 "the Centennial Park dealership in Pataskala" I thought they were relocating to 70 and 310. There has been activity there next to the Duke and Duchess. A friend told me the Centennial location was moving there. thats going to be kohls distribution center Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mace1647545504 Posted February 20, 2019 Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 WOW...the problem is centennial was located near the bullet ranch..go see a few HDs then go shoot..lol I keep reading HD is on the ropes but they were years ago and came off of them hard. They will survive..wish I could still ride and there wern't so many aholes in cars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buelliganx1 Posted February 20, 2019 Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 Shouldn't that read "Ricart is getting into the t-shirt business"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBQdDude Posted February 20, 2019 Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 thats going to be kohls distribution center Well damn, I was hoping for a, closer to me, bike night spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeto67 Posted February 20, 2019 Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 Shouldn't that read "Ricart is getting into the t-shirt business"? LOL!. Unless they got it for a cheap price, I don't quite follow this move. The current HD market is really bad for the dealer because over selling has created a glut in the market of used harleys that are bringing the prices of used bikes way down and stealing sales from new bikes. Ricart has good experience selling used vehicles at volume so maybe that's their biggest asset in this scenario - they know how to clean up the used bike mess and make a little money, but no amount of salesmanship is just going to make a lot of motorcycles just go away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otis Nice Posted February 22, 2019 Report Share Posted February 22, 2019 Live to Ricart. Ricart to Live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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