BIKER NEWS: Our view: Proud of our top Harley-Davidson shop

BN- In the world of motorcycle enthusiasts, Dutch Holland and his shop, Harley-Davidson of Dothan, are legendary. Bikers from across the nation pencil in a stop at Dutch’s shop whenever they’re in area on the way to Florida, which has several annual biker gatherings.

Last week, Holland’s reputation got another boost with the coveted Small Business Person of the Year award from the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce.

Holland’s story is a familiar one: Hometown bankers provided capital for his start-up more than 40 years ago on a good word and a handshake. He and his wife worked hard on their new venture while employed in other jobs, weathered a crippling lull in the industry and built their Harley shop into an oasis for Harley-Davidson enthusiasts, the only dealer for 100 miles around. The reputation of exemplary quality at his dealership has captured the Harley-Davidson company’s Gold Bar & Shield Circle of Achievement Award 14 times through the years.

What makes Holland extraordinary is his modest view of success, which he attributes to the employees who have make the dealership what it is today, and the loyal customers they’ve served through the years.

“You don’t get there on your own,” Holland told Dothan Eagle reporter Ebony Davis. “The employee makes you what you are, and your customers, we have some that have been here since the beginning. We treat them like they’re our neighbor or best friend.”

We congratulate Carthel “Dutch” Holland on his selection as Small Business Person of the Year and for his decades as a successful member of the local business community.

Source: http://www.dothaneagle.com/news/editorials/our-view-proud-of-our-top-harley-davidson-shop/article_7462d702-711f-11e5-b530-dfdd8928232a.html