www . PowersportsBusiness . com Powersports Business • December 2024 • 21

My dad passed away , but he was a huge part of the business and my development . That ’ s why my store in Arizona , I named it Legends – to give a nod to my dad and all the legends that came before me .

Arizona .” At 33 years old , she acquired two dealerships and two retail stores in Arizona – Legends Harley-Davidson and Canyon Harley-Davidson .

“ My dad passed away , but he was a huge part of the business and my devepopment ,” she shares . “ That ’ s why my store in Arizona is named Legends – to give a nod to my dad and all the legends that came before me . I wouldn ’ t be where I am without his guidance and giving me the opportunity to buy the dealership .” She also credits her mother , Karen Matteson , for being her “ prayer warrior .”

The Arizona acquisition came with challenges . “ I didn ’ t really know the details of the structure of the deal when I bought the stores from my dad ,” she says . “ When this opportunity came up , it was intimidating . I didn ’ t hire a lawyer right up front to structure the deal , so me and the owner were structuring the deal .”

To prepare , she read books about business valuation and spoke to dealers with acquisition experience at 20 Group meetings .

“ There were a few things I wish I would have known . I was learning as I was doing it ,” she says . “ I was able to structure the tax side of it well … It was intimidating but it was also fun and challenging .”

After the purchase , Matteson divided her time between Alaska and Arizona . “ Those stores really needed a lot of attention ,” she says about the Arizona Harley- Davidson dealerships .

MANAGEMENT “ It was harder to build culture in Arizona ,” she explains . “ In Alaska , we have a longstanding culture . My general manager has worked for us for 20 years . My operations manager has been with us for 28 years .”

She shares that if she acquired a dealership again , she would prebuild a team that would help run her stores . “ We ’ re not a big dealer group . We didn ’ t have a whole team

See Harley-Davidson , Page 22

Matteson and her husband , Nick Morton , developed an in-house apprenticeship program for service technicians .

, Not Harder

Kole Nichols

Service Manager A + Power Sports

Elkhorn , WI

DX1 ’ s smart notifications and automated tasks simplify dealership workflows and boost productivity . Effortlessly market inventory across multiple platforms with a single click , and when an item sells , it ’ s automatically removed . This efficient , seamless solution keeps your team focused on customers rather than tied to their desks .

Travel the road to smarter dealership management with DX1 . The ONLY all-in-one dealership software solution with a DMS , website , lead manager , and more .

( 800 ) 700-4391 www . DX1app . com