SickShooter News

Harley-Davidson of Crete to close Oct. 15
Publish date: Sep 30, 2010



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Harley-Davidson of Crete, Ill., will close its doors Oct. 15.

Owner Marion Galloway says the store just couldn’t survive the bad economy.

"With this economy, people don't need toys," he told the North West Indiana TImes. Since Harley cut the amount of inventory allotted to the store, sales have fallen even more.

"That hurt sales, but mostly it's the economy," Galloway says. "Bikes, boats, RVs. All that stuff is in the tank right now."

Between 40 and 50 of the about 700 Harley-Davidson dealerships in the nation that were in business last year have closed, Galloway says. There are 17 dealerships in the Chicago area, which creates fierce competition.

Galloway opened the business in 1991. He moved his dealership into a new building in 1999. His investment topped $1 million.

"They (Harley-Davidson) required us to expand in order to get more allocation, and at the time we thought we needed more," Galloway says. "The more you get the more you can sell."

But business followed the pattern of the real estate boom.

"We had our best year in (2007)," Galloway says. "We doubled in size in 2008, and right after that things started going downhill."

Some of the dealership's 30 employees, which include his son, brother, a niece and a nephew, have found new jobs at other dealerships, but many still are still looking. Galloway plans to retire.