The old Firestone shop at the corner of Baker and Palmer streets soon will go from servicing vehicles with four wheels to those with two, three, four — and even none at all.
Plant City Motorsports, a full-service shop specializing in servicing all makes of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, side-by-sides and watercraft, is set to open March 1.
Entrepreneur Matt Ackles, along with Craig McKee, consultant Jerrod Monaghan, and Craig’s son, Chad, partnered to open the new shop, which they expect will fill a need in the local market.
“There are several shops in the area that will work on motorcycles, but not any that service all makes,” Monaghan said, noting the shop will service everything from Harley-Davidsons to Japanese sport bikes. “If it’s got a motor and a way of propulsion, we’re hoping to be able to service those vehicles.”
A Michigan native, Ackles attended the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, in Orlando. After graduating and returning home to Michigan, he eventually moved back to Florida for better opportunities.
“We looked at (more than) 30 different properties in the Greater Plant City area before deciding on this location,” Monaghan said about the shop’s new home, 203 E. Baker St., in historic downtown. “We did a lot of homework before settling on that location, and it was by far the best facility that we found.”
Monaghan also said the partners plan to obtain a seller’s license to sell used vehicles from the shop within six months.
According to Ackles, the reason for coming to Plant City stemmed from the number of riders in this area.
“There’s not really anything else in the immediate area that meets those needs,” Ackles said. “That’s why we’re here.”
Ackles will serve as the head mechanic and technician at the shop, while McKee also will work in-house. Monaghan is a consultant who has helped with more than 100 motorcycle dealerships and shops in the United States. He has worked with a variety of markets but says Plant City has been one of his most unique experiences.
“Plant City has been so gracious and open-minded to us and really the entire motorcycle community,” he said, noting the city’s more that 10-year involvement with Bike Fest, a monthly festival held in McCall Park, just a few blocks from the shop’s location.
“(Bringing in) hundreds of motorcycles and riders in each month could strike fear in some people, with preconceived notions of groups like the Hells Angels, but this is a family sport and hobby much more than it is about the 1%,” Monaghan said. “I applaud this community for having that foresight and for looking at it as an asset and not a liability to bring in tourism dollars.”
Monaghan hopes the monthly festival will bring in customers and that Plant City Motorsports can build a good relationship with Bike Fest.
“It’s great to see the small-town community feel Plant City brings,” Monaghan said. “We really feel at home in this environment, and we are looking forward to being a part of this community.”
Monaghan added that they have made an effort to set up locally, with banking and financial services. Plant City Motorsports also has submitted paperwork to join the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce and has plans to host a ribbon-cutting event April 5. Ackles also noted he has received interest from members of Plant City’s First Baptist Church, located across the street. First Baptist has a group called the Faith Riders, that ride their motorcycles to church every Sunday.
“They’ve been congratulating us on everything and are interested in what we have going on,” he said.Anonymizer Elite –