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Harley-Davidson
Tim Sherman
By
Barbara L. Roose |
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"My
first job got me to my second job, and my second job
got me to my third job. It was my reputation that
made all of the difference. …You have to fight
to get close enough to the hole to fall into it.”
"I
like to joke around that we used to sell the first
Windows product, but we didn’t know what it
was.”
It took a great deal of wisdom for young Tim Sherman
to understand that if he took care of his customers,
good things would likely happen for him. A native
of Euclid, Ohio near Cleveland, Tim’s father
had two dreams for his son’s life. “My
father’s goal for me was to graduate from a
Big Ten college and work for a Fortune 500 company,
and I did just that. I graduated from Ohio State University
with a degree in marketing, and then I went to work
for Xerox.” But it was Tim’s attitude
that created the opportunity to interview at Xerox,
as well as opened the doors to his future as the owner
of Toledo Harley-Davidson and Signature Perrysburg
Harley-Davidson.
In 1978, Tim graduated from high school and began
working as a salesman in a men’s clothing store
while he was in college. By using the position to
learn key customer service and sales techniques, Tim
always figured that the big break would come while
working at the clothing store. He was right. “I
used to help a fellow out, I love to mention his name,
Donny Caldwell, who worked for Xerox. A former college
football athlete, Donny had a 21” neck and was
hard to fit into clothes. I took great care of him,
so when Xerox had a position open in sales, he let
me know about it.”
Tim began working and enjoyed a successful career
in the top ranked district in the country. “I
like to joke around that we used to sell the first
Windows product, but we didn’t know what it
was.”
Three years after starting at Xerox, Tim bought a
Harley-Davidson motorcycle. “Everyone at Xerox
said I should have bought a BMW or golf clubs.”
Tim’s purchase highlighted a growing chasm between
how Tim wanted to live his life and Xerox’s
corporate culture. “I loved my motorcycle and
could see that’s where my interests were going.”
Tim decided to contact a company that previously rejected
him.
“After graduating from OSU, I sent Harley-Davidson
a resume, not knowing that they wouldn't need a young
guy who didn't know anything.” Tim's resume
was rejected, but he kept his original letter and
the response. On Tim's second attempt to enter the
industry, he was hired by the dealership in Columbus,
Ohio.
In March 1986, Tim resigned from Xerox and immediately
went to work for Harley Davidson. Tim began working
with a Harley-Davidson in Columbus, the oldest Harley-Davidson
dealership in the world. “It was a small business,
small number of employees, small volume, but 100%
name recognition.”
Tim decided it was important to work on the dealership
side to learn what he needed to know before he moved
over to the ownership side of the business. He worked
in the Downtown Columbus Harley-Davidson store for
13 years and experienced great success in the growing
business. Already established in sales, Tim was the
motorcycle salesman, and, in time, he was elevated
to being the right-hand man to the ownership and assisted
the owners in running the store. When Tim left, there
were 60 people working at the Columbus store.
As the Harley-Davidson brand became stronger and the
opportunity to own a dealership became much tougher,
Tim realized that he was going to need to surround
himself with some people who could make him make it
happen. He pulled out the resume he sent to Harley-Davidson,
years before, as well as the company’s rejection
letter. Thirteen years later, Tim sent those letters
in with his application to open his own dealership.
Tim formed a company with a couple of partners and
purchased their first dealership, Signature Harley-Davidson
in 1999. It was a very small country dealership in
Genoa, Ohio. In July 2000, they opened Signature Harley-Davidson
Perrysburg right off Rt. 20 near Interstate 75. “That’s
what really needed to happen,” comments Tim.
“The Toledo market was really underserved.”
It was a good decision, as the business grew almost
five times the volume over the Genoa location.
In 2003, Tim contacted the owner of the Sylvania Harley-Davidson
store and purchased the business. In 2004, he moved
the business into a new location on Central Avenue.
“I really felt that this dealership really needed
to be called ‘Toledo Harley-Davidson.’”
Tim was attracted to the fast-growing area, and having
the dealership on the same side of town as the automotive
strip appealed to him.
According to Tim, one of the things that makes his
business so interesting is that it so versatile. In
addition to rider education and accessories, Harley-Davidson
also has collectibles, children’s clothing,
motorcycle rental and financing services. Tim points
out that the company has been diligent in developing
the brand carefully to make sure that all of its vendors
provide the highest quality merchandise. “We
are now basically six, maybe seven businesses inside
of one. It makes it exciting for our customers because
there is something different happening all of the
time.” One of those things is the live music
events hosted by Tim. National music artists like
Charlie Daniels, Whitesnake and Tesla are just a few
groups Tim has brought in for outdoor concerts. “Part
of what Harley-Davidson is about is the social aspect.
It seems like a contradiction since motorcycle riding
is a solitary activity, but motorcycle riders like
to be with each other.”
Like many grateful business owners, Tim is quick to
give credit to his employees for their hard work.
“The people who work for me make my business
great. Their combined ideas, their combined experience
and their combined energy make me feel lucky to be
in the business that I am in.”
Tim answers one final question: Is there such a thing
as a quiet Harley-Davidson? “Yes,” smiles
Tim. “But only when it first comes out of the
box.”
TOLEDO HARLEY-DAVIDSON
SIGNATURE PERRYSBURG HARLEY DAVIDSON
Tim Sherman, Owner
Phone: 419-843-7892/419-873-2453
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