London Inc. June 2022 - 28

10 Minutes With
REVVING UP THE REGION
Erin Mitchell, director of operations at Canada's two
top-performing Harley-Davidson dealerships, chats
about building community, the electric ride and why
the experience always trumps
ERIN MITCHELL IS director of operations at Rocky's Harley-Davidson in
London and Blackbridge Harley-Davidson in Cambridge.
Both dealerships are owned by Brian Jacobs, the former controller at
both locations. With partners Cory Stuart and Darryl Turley, he purchased
them from the Duncan family - Rocky's more recently. The two
businesses employ about 75 people combined.
Mitchell lives in Port Stanley with her partner and a " big, beautiful,
blended family " that includes dogs Loki and Shiner. She began working
at Blackbridge in 2019. " I've spent a lot of time on the 401 since then.
During the pandemic, I spent weeks at a time living in Cambridge and
commuting home. "
She grew up in North London and attended A.B. Lucas Secondary
School and King's University College. She was a VP at digital marketing
firm Arcane for nearly five years and continues to operate her own
consulting firm, Erin Mitchell + Co. Her passions include golf - her
goal this season is to hit 200-yard drives - and her family. " As a foster
parent, I am constantly pulled into the adventures of my boys and their
friends. I love the quality time we all spend as a family. "
She rides both a Harley-Davidson Street 500 and LiveWire.
After the recent purchase of Rocky's, you've
doubled your responsibilities, at least on paper.
How will your job change? My primary focus will be
on aligning the customer experience between both stores.
From concierge customer service in all departments to
industry-leading expertise, precision and performance
are in our DNA. Blackbridge and Rocky's are undeniably
the top-performing dealers in Canada, with motorcycle
sales exceeding 1,000 units per rooftop annually and
the profitability to match. Our performance builds are
the envy of privateer and factory race teams alike. The
California custom-build community is talking about 'the
other Ontario' and we're winning King of the Baggers
races, all while building performance bikes that are
roadworthy and accessible to our customers.
Harley-Davidson has a reputation as a brand that
you buy after starting on something else, but that
seems to be changing. What's being done at the
dealership level to promote a wider clientele? We
28|londonincmagazine.ca|JUNE 2022
provide our customers with candid advice, including our
personal opinions, experience and recommendations
for particular riding styles. We host events like The
Moto Social, where all are welcome, bike or no bike, and
which are known for being inclusive to riders of all makes,
models, experience levels and riding styles. We create a
community bikers can come home to. At our hub, bikers
discover a holistic riding experience where they can hone
their skills, bring family to events, expand their biking
experience, network with each other and build lifelong
relationships.
We also take new riders under our wing through
mentorship. Our ambassador guides them on where to test
for their license and how to get discounts. We offer tips on
passing their exit tests, recommend them places to rent a
bike and where to stay when riding specific routes - and
most importantly, we'll make sure they sign up for the
right class. There's a riding club for just about any style,
and we know them all. We play matchmaker and love
seeing our people find their home in the community.
London Inc. June 2022

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