Self-employment

Focus on Yahama products pays off

Brothers rev up online sales

Brothers Stephen and Larry Kelly grew up riding motorcycles. They've turned that boyhood passion into a growing business selling parts and accessories for Yahama motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles and generators.

ROGER PIERCE
[ 2007-06-20 ]

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Brothers Larry and Stephen Kelly sell Yahama products through their dealership and new website.

The duo own Kellys Cycle Centre Ltd., a heaven for Yahama enthusiasts located at 1042 Upper Wellington Street in Hamilton, Ont. Their dealership opened in 2000 and last year expanded to the Internet with a site called Yamaha Genuine Parts (www.YamahaGenuine Parts.com.)

"Our customers are blue-blooded Yamaha owners looking to make the most of their leisure time," Larry says. "We carry a full line of Yahama parts and accessories in our store, which is kind of unusual for a dealership."

Their extensive Yahama inventory helps to create amazing customer loyalty.

"If someone is looking for genuine Yamaha mud guards or a genuine Yamaha sled windshield, we have it," Stephen says.


The website was a unique business move because many retailers want to keep people coming into their store. "Our online store actually creates more retail store traffic because people want to come and see us," Larry says. "The website really complements our existing business."

With the marketing tagline, "We Eat, Sleep and Breathe Yamaha!", the entrepreneurs have truly immersed themselves in the Yahama culture. "We made a conscious decision to wrap ourselves in the company flag to become the go-to place for Yamaha products," Stephen says.

As a result, the brothers enjoy a strong relationship with Yamaha Canada, which benefits their customers with unparalleled product assortment and availability.

"It really pays to pick a defined niche and run with it," Larry says. "We're known for our Yahama expertise and customers have responded to that."

The brothers see their new e-store as their gateway to the world. "Our dream is to build our website into a premium global web store," Stephen says. "Yahama is a globally recognized brand and we see demand for parts and accessories around the world."



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