Jim and Linda Schlier have decided to retire and sold Pocono Mountain Harley-Davidson of Tannersville, Pennsylvania, to Steve and Anne Deli of American Road Group. The Deli’s are certainly familiar with The Motor Company: In 1985, Steve Deli was Managing Director at Dean Witter Reynolds in Chicago, and was asked to refinance Harley-Davidson Motor Company.
After successfully completing the refinance, Deli went on to build HDMC, now known as Harley-Davidson Financial Services.
Anne Deli had an impressive career at a well-known advertising agency and brand consulting firm on Madison Avenue in New York. Anne was hired by Harley-Davidson as a consultant and went on to become the Vice President of Global Brand Management & Marketing, making her the first female Vice-President at Harley-Davidson Motor Company.
In 2000, Steve and Anne Deli decided to take their combined experience and become dealership owners. They formed American Road Group and purchased a Harley-Davidson dealership in Orlando, Florida. For the past 20+ years, they have built an extremely successful family of Harley-Davidson businesses across the United States.
Meanwhile the Schliers started as a blue collar couple with a shared love of Harley-Davidson motorcycles and purchased Pocono Mountain Harley-Davidson in 2013, which was then located in Snydersville, Pennsylvania. Realizing the dealership’s greater potential, combined with their commitment to the brand, the Schliers decided to build a new facility in Tannersville, Pennsylvania.
Completed in 2020, the new dealership is a masterpiece. Nestled on the side of a mountain, it draws the attention of enthusiasts and visitors, regardless of their motorcycle background. No detail was left out, including a beautiful outdoor patio overlooking the Pocono Mountain landscape.
“We would like to thank all of our family, employees, customers, and suppliers from our businesses throughout the years,” said the Schliers in announcing their retirement. “If it wasn’t for all of you, our success and drive would have never been attainable. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank and will miss every single one of you. We want to thank our wonderful children, Jimmy, Jamie, and Falon, and Jim’s brother Kevin for their hard work. Ride safe and see you down the road.”
Following the sale, Jim Schlier added, “We would like to thank George Chaconas and Courtney Bernhard of Performance Brokerage Services for their hard work in getting this sale to the finish line. As you can imagine, selling a dealership of this size is no easy undertaking. They successfully identified the most strategic buyer that made an offer we felt was in the best interest of everyone involved. We appreciate George and Courtney’s professionalism, problem solving skills, and always being available as needed. I would also like to thank my longtime family attorney, George Westervelt, for his commitment and hard work, concurrently selling both of my companies. While fully retiring may not be our end game, we look forward to the next chapter in life, and being able to enjoy what Linda and I have worked so hard to build.”
“I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Jim Schlier for more than 10 years,” added Chaconas. “I previously helped him buy fixed assets from a nearby Harley-Davidson dealership in New Jersey, which I also helped permanently close. Jim invited me to meet with him and his lovely wife, Linda, to discuss an exit strategy and their succession plan. Shortly thereafter, we were hired to move forward with a sale.
“After speaking with several buyers, we ultimately negotiated a deal with Steve and Anne Deli of American Road Group. With the help of Brian Daly, CFO of American Road Group, and my Associate, Courtney Bernhard, we were able to work through agreements and negotiations to successfully reach an outcome where both parties were happy. I would like to congratulate American Road Group for making another acquisition and growing their Harley-Davidson dealership group. It was a pleasure to work with Steve Deli, who I’ve known since I started in the industry more than 20 years ago and look forward to working together again in the future. I wish Jim and Linda a wonderful retirement in Florida.”
The dealership will retain the name Pocono Mountain Harley-Davidson and remain at its current location at 110 Hill Motor Lodge Road in Tannersville, Pennsylvania.
