Waldron Kawasaki
Issaquah Goes Green With A New Dealership
 As the
populated areas around Seattle have grown over the years the need
for dealerships farther out has become more of a necessity for serving the
communities that are there.
Today track housing is popping up all along the Sammamish Plateau, down
through the valleys along Tiger Mountain and throughout North Bend at a rapid
rate.
Kawasaki realized this growth and began searching for a location and
franchise to take on the #3 selling line of Japanese motorcycles. They found
Harvey Waldron III and his wife, Corrinn.
Above/right: Harvey
Waldron stands alongside his fresh Kawasaki inventory. Already the
#1 dealer for Arctic Cat in the state, Kawasaki is excited to be working with
him.
The Waldron's are no new comers to the motorsports industry. A snowmobiler for more
than four decades, Harvey was racing sleds on the East Coast as early as the 60’s.
"I
watched oval snowmobile racing in upstate New York in 1972 and said 'I can do
that.' So in the 1972-73 season I
saved my pennies and bought a stock oval Arctic Cat racer and ran the circuit in
the Northeast. The highest I placed
was last but I was hooked badly. That
spring I accepted a job at Boeing and moved the family to the Northwest.
I found an Arctic Cat dealership (Yamaha of Redmond) and ordered another
race sled for the next season with big plans to continue to race.
The gas crunch almost ended by plans but was saved because the owner also
owned a gas station and provided me with gas.
My successes grew and I placed second in the state racing that year. The following year I took over managing the snowmobile
department at Yamaha of Redmond, racing and working full time at Boeing.
From 1976-1980 I was the top driver in the NW mod classes (designed and
built my own race sleds). In 1980 I
was invited to the International Snowmobile World Series and won.
The best day of my life. A
goal I had set for myself and achieved. Today
I ride for pleasure…just don’t challenge me.
My thumb has a continuous itch."
In 1984 he took on an Arctic Cat franchise and created the largest Washington
State dealership for the sled and ATV manufacturer today.
That’s when Kawasaki perked up. The Waldron’s secret for success lies in
their high service rankings and personable customer relations. If they could build the
largest Arctic Cat dealership in the state from that, they was good medicine for
Kawasaki too.
"I
have run my dealership and others while working at Boeing for over 28 years.
We have been in our current location since 1984 focusing on Arctic Cat
Snowmobiles and custom mountain sleds (Signature Series)."
When you pull up to the dealership, you’ll notice it’s housed inside two
industrial buildings on the west side of Issaquah. It takes a little navigating to find Waldron’s
showrooms on a main drag, .
One building houses a well stocked showroom, while the other handles customers
service and parts needs.
"We
have been looking for a new building for over 3 years.
A lot of false starts and hopes over that time period.
The great economy and lack of space available at a reasonable cost
limited options. When we picked up
the Kawasaki dealership in March our back was to the wall, as we needed space
now. But it had to fit into our
budget and business plan. We found
a space on the other side of I90 on a main drag but remodeling costs and
Issaquah growth limitations eliminated that option.
When the building next door became available it was a natural, however
not perfect. We made our decision
and remodeled. The rest is history."
The Waldrons feel motorcyclists are similar to snowmobilers in that
the sport brings together the family. Family has always been an important focus for Waldron and his
plans are to stay on track with the importance of it as he makes and shapes his
mark on the Northwest motorcycle scene today.
"I
first started riding motorcycles in 1973. However
with my passion for snowmobiles and professionally racing through the 1980’s I
never owned one. I just borrowed
one when I had the need. Time and
focus on other things in life put motorcycles on the back burner.
Now that I have entered another phase in my life I really enjoyed putting
a Meanstreak together this spring with all the Fire & Steel.
However, I only rode it a couple of times before it was sold. I am now putting together a custom 2003 Meanstreak with Fire
& Steel and a wild paint job. Hope
to enjoy riding it before it is sold. I
have had lots of riders drop by an invite me on rides this summer.
However, building the new showroom has prevented me from going.
I look forward to riding with the cruiser groups in the future in the
Northwest."
If you're wondering just how a snowmobile tech team plans to tackle
motorcycles, the training is well in place. Waldron's has hired a seasoned
motorcycle tech. For those who don't venture
into snow riding, you'll be interested to know that Arctic Cats uses Suzuki
motors for their power plants. As Suzuki and Kawasaki recently merged
their R&D divisions the similarities are closer than you think.
TM/Fall 02
For more information, visit the Waldron
Kawasaki website |
