Pete Johnson and Lori Thiel made the monumental decision to sell their dealership, Open Road Harley-Davidson in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, after a 15-year run. Stepping into the ownership are Matt Chiappetta and Bruce Miner. They both knew that when the opportunity to own a Harley-Davidson dealership in their hometown presented itself, they could not pass it up. In a deal brokered by George Chaconas and Courney Bernhard, the long-time friends and business partners acquired Open Road Harley-Davidson, bringing their total dealership count between them to four.
Pete Johnson and Lori Thiel met by chance at Sturgis. They both had careers in the finance industry and shared a love of the open road. In 2007, they acquired Open Road Harley-Davidson and merged their professional backgrounds with their passion for motorcycle riding. They quickly recognized that being customer focused and elevating the overall dealership experience would set them apart. Thiel created a monthly event for fellow female riders that was a huge success and created a lot of excitement for new female riders.
Over the years, the dealership stayed true to the core values upon which it was established and built a community of riders that knew they would always be treated fairly when visiting the dealership. When they started working with Performance Brokerage on an exit strategy, they wanted to ensure the next owners would continue the legacy they were riding away from. “When the time was right to sell, how we went about selling our dealership was as important to us as who would become our successors,” says Thiel.
“Staying in touch with George and his associate Courtney was beneficial in so many ways with their great knowledge of the powersports business and being well-networked. The favorable introduction to the buyers of our dealership resulted in a great fit for our market and our succession plan. Courtney was onsite at the closing and made sure the entire process was fluid and seamless. We strongly recommend this duo of high-integrity professionals if you’re thinking of buying or selling.”
“I first met with Pete and Lori nearly seven years ago,” adds Chaconas. “I visited them at Open Road and discussed the preparation of selling their dealership. We attempted to go to market briefly, but realized the timing wasn’t right as Pete and Lori still had family in the business and weren’t fully ready to exit. Several years later, after realizing there was no strong succession plan in place, they decided to sell.
“I had been in contact with Mike Chiappetta and Bruce Miner over the years, and they were looking to partner and acquire a Harley-Davidson dealership in their home state of Wisconsin. The timing worked out perfectly and we were able to reach a fair and equitable agreement for both parties. Having a realistic seller combined with highly motivated and qualified buyers enabled us to execute this transaction in a very timely fashion. I appreciate the opportunity to have represented Pete and Lori, while helping Matt and Bruce grow their Harley-Davidson dealership group.”
Chiappetta and Miner look forward to expanding upon the strong foundation Pete and Lori have built, while bringing onboard new energy and practices to make Open Road Harley-Davidson an even more amazing place to visit. “George Chaconas of Performance Brokerage Services reached out to me about the possibility of expanding our Harley-Davidson dealership business,” notes Chiappetta. “Having known George for years, he was the go-to guy and knew I wanted to buy in Wisconsin. In a very short period of time, George identified Open Road Harley-Davidson and the rest is history. I would like to say thank you to Courtney and George for helping provide a smooth transaction.
The dealership will remain at its current location at 24 South Rolling Meadows Drive in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
