When Harley-Davidson fans break ground for a new shop they
don
’t use ordinary shovels. So it was that, when construction began
on a new “House of Thunder” Tuesday, it was shiny black and orange
shovels with the Harley logo that dug into the earth.
When Harley-Davidson fans break ground for a new shop they don’t use ordinary shovels. So it was that, when construction began on a new “House of Thunder” Tuesday, it was shiny black and orange shovels with the Harley logo that dug into the earth.
Daniel Stern, owner of the Hollister Harley store, and Ed Tewes, Morgan Hill city manager, wielded the shovels standing in front of digitized renderings of the 22,000 square-foot retail store planned for Condit Road.
Stern and his partner Nance Panzica are bringing Harley-Davidson to Morgan Hill.
“Our goal is to have the store open by the end of the year so we can be ready for the season,” Stern said. The motorcycle season, he said, begins Feb. 15. “We must be ready by then.”
The 2.43 acre site is located between the Inn at Morgan Hill and the Comfort Inn and entirely visible from Hwy 101.
In the background, two large earth movers roamed around ripping black walnut trees from the ground and chewing them up to make the land ready for building.
Stern, 44 and a San Jose resident, thanked the city for its help, singling out Tewes and Garrett Toy, Business Assistance and Housing director. He thanked the banks –Wells Fargo and South Valley National, the realty company Coldwell Banker and his contractors for their help.
He spoke warmly of his Hollister employees who, he said, have been very patient over the past couple of years.
Stern has been working on opening the store in Morgan Hill for almost three years.
The Hollister store, though small at 1,000 square-feet, will remain open, he said.
The “state-of-the-art” Morgan Hill store will sell the latest in Harley motorcycles, including the V-Rod, and will also house 12,000 square-feet of parts, accessories and clothing for Harley enthusiasts.
“Harley-Davidsons are the perfect stress relief for our fast-paced lives,” Stern said earlier. “Morgan Hill and the South Valley have always been a mecca for motorcycles so it was only natural that we build our facility in Morgan Hill.”
Called the “House of Thunder”, the store will also have a large service and repair department for customizing the motorcycles and a soundproofed “Dyno Room”, to test for horsepower.
Stern, who has been in the business for more than 23 years, said earlier that exceptional customer service has been his highest priority.
Possibly as a result, the Hollister store has led the Bay Area in customer service, he said.
“It will be no different at House of Thunder Harley-Davidson in Morgan Hill.”
Stern said he owns “about eight” Harleys but is not really a collector.
“I’m one of those fortunate people that has been able to make a career out of doing what they love,” he said. And he loves Harleys.
Kurt Michielssen, senior vice president at SVNB and clad in white shirt and tie, was watching the affair standing behind the Hollister Harley employees who tended toward T-shirts and bandanas. But the difference was on the outside only.
Michielssen-the-banker owns a 1998 Low Rider Harley.
“Riding gives me an opportunity to concentrate and move out of the banker mold,” he said. Back in banker mode, he said the Condit location is the best for the store.
The House of Thunder is expected to add to Morgan Hill’s recently pallid sales tax revenues.
“It’s good news for the city,” said Jack Dilles, city finance director, but he could not say how much sales tax he expects the store to bring in. Stern said he expects the business to bring a “sizable income” and also provide opportunities for jobs.
Besides taking advantage of nearby freeway access and hotels, the House of Thunder site is across the street from the Morgan Hill Aquatic Center, now under construction with a May 31, 2004, opening date. The soccer fields and sports fields, part of the city’s youth sports complex, are just up the street.
“We need to talk about supporting the aquatic center,” Stern told Mayor Dennis Kennedy who had arrived a bit late. “Maybe we can raffle off a motorcycle.”
After the shovels were stowed away, Stern collected everyone and took them to lunch at the Golden Oak to celebrate.
