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| Eureka Springs, Arkansas |
Why Arkansas???
When CycleGadgets.com became a full-time venture for Laurene and me in 2003, it didn't take us long to decide that there was really no reason that we had to run the business from Northern Indiana. We moved to Plymouth, IN in 1997 for Laurene's job, and while there is a lot to love about the town (I can't imagine a better place for Graham and Hopeann to have grown up), the flat terrain and the harsh winters are two things we really don't care for. So, we started dreaming about where we really WANTED to be at this point in our lives.
Although an "Internet-based" business can theoretically be run from anywhere, we did have some restrictions. We wanted to be centrally-located, so that shipments didn't take an inordinate amount of time to reach the far coast. We also have family back in Indiana and in Missouri, so we wanted to be within a day's travel to either location. We have had the benefit of traveling extensively over the past few years to motorcycle rallies throughout the country, so we had an idea of the terrain, climate, and culture in different areas.
The "Ah Ha!" moment occurred in October 2003. One area that we had wanted to check out was Northwest Arkansas, and as it turned out the BMWRT.com group was having their "Un-Rally" in Eureka Springs, AR immediately after the BMWRA national rally in Birmingham, AL. So, while most of the crew headed for home after the RA rally, Laurene and I split off and went to Arkansas. To say we were impressed by the town is putting it mildly - we were blown away! The hilly Ozark Mountain terrain is incredible for motorcycling, and the town itself is very charming and has a plethora of fantastic restaurants, hotels, and shops. We felt "at home" from the beginning.
We returned to northwest Arkansas another half-dozen or so times over the next year, looking at communities and properties all over the area, but kept coming back to Eureka Springs. We eventually purchased 44 acres of land on Highway 187 a few miles from the Beaver Lake Dam, and decided that we would move the business there once our youngest daughter, Hopeann, went off to college.
In 2006 we began construction. It's a large project - we had to clear out the road leading to the building site, and bring in quite a lot of fill material. Then, the 8,500+ sq ft foundation and slab had to be poured. The steel framework for our new building (containing a 6000' warehouse, a large showroom, and our offices) was erected and skinned, and our contractor then began working on the interior finish. There were a few delays along the way, but the building was finally far enough along for us to occupy at least part of it by the end of January.
The Move
On Monday, January 29, 2007 we packed our day's orders, turned them over to UPS and the Post Office, and then start loading. All of our remaining Indiana inventory, fixtures, desks, computers, etc. were loaded up onto two 53' semi trailers and transported to Eureka Springs.
There was still a lot to be completed at that point - the showroom was barely framed up, and the parking lot & access road were still gravel. All of that was completed within a couple of months, though, and our facility is now fully operational. We encourage any riders coming to this area to stop by and visit!
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