The small Midwestern town of Anamosa, Iowa, is the home of one of the world’s best known motorcycle parts and accessories retailers. Started in 1979 by John and Jill Parham, J&P Cycles this company has developed from a sole proprietorship with one employee to a corporation of more than 200 employees who ship more than 1,600 orders daily! And with more than 65,000 square feet of parts and accessories, J&P is the largest single buyer of parts from suppliers such as Custom Chrome, Ness, Drag Specialties, Corbin, and many others. The also have a state-of-the-art packing and shipping facility to make sure that the parts are in stock and are able to reach customers in a timely manner.

Now, one would imagine that running a business this size is enough to keep anyone busy; however, it is obvious that John and Jill do more than just that and it is apparent that they possess a true love of motorcycling. For example, John and Jill serve as President and Vice-President, respectively, of the National Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame which is also located in Anamosa. This fascination with bikes goes back a while for John as he told Brian, “I always loved motorcycles. When everybody else was working on cars, I was messing with motorcycles.” They also pride themselves by being more than just a business and their approach to keeping the loyalty of their customers is much like people would treat family! In fact, to show their appreciation, each year for the past 24 they have thrown a Customer Appreciation Party which Jill says brings in more people than are in Anamosa itself! This year’s party was fantastic with 32 companies represented such as Custom Chrome, Corbin, and other major manufactures, and while last year’s party attracted 3,500 riders and customers, this year they expect more than 4,000! There were plenty of events at this year’s affair and people rode in from all across the Midwest to attend the event—one even came 500 miles from Topeka, Kansas!

While it’s true today that J&P produces one of the largest mail-order catalogs in the business featuring more than 26,000 pieces, parts, and accessories for Harleys from 1936 to the present, Brian went on to ask John just what was next for the company. John responded that a metric cruiser catalog and a vintage catalog were in production and that all the catalogs are available through the internet. John also mentioned that they have an extensive Gold Wing selection as well.

Finally, to sum up the success of J&P Cycles, one needs look no further than a sign in the business that reads, “The Best Customer Service in the Midwest.” Jill further added that she believes that the success resides in the fact that Midwest values are reflected in the business. John finally added, “It’s how you take care of the customer before and after the sale.” And the key ingredients are “a good presentation, a reasonable price, have it in stock, and get it out of the door in a timely manner.” Sounds like a winner to us. If you would like a catalog, or if you want to give them a look on the web, check them out at www.jpcycles.com, or give them a call at 800-397-4844.

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