J&P Cycles on the Move

ANAMOSA, Iowa – J&P Cycles, the V-twin-focused retail business of the Motorsports Aftermarket Group, said it is leaving northeast Iowa but might leave a retail store somewhere in the area.

The nearby National Motorcycle Museum, a separate organization from J&P, will stay at its current location.

The big mail order and online retailer will move its warehouse to Louisville, Ky., to take advantage of shipping cost efficiencies. Its management offices will move to Texas and call center operations will relocate to Daytona Beach, Fla.

The company said it will continue to ship products through Anamosa for the time being but expects to finish relocation efforts in 2016. In Anamosa, 125 employees are affected.

MAG said the decision will not impact plans for this year’s Open House Rally at the nearby Jones County Fairgrounds.

It’s unclear at this stage whether the potential loss of “ride by” traffic will affect the nearby National Motorcycle Museum, built by J&P founders John and Jill Parham. Organizers say the museum will remain in place. “We already keep the pedal down to drive traffic through events, meetings and new exhibits,” Mark Mederski, special projects director, told Dealernews.

The Museum is a separate, 501(c)3 corporation and there is no corporate management relationship with J&P. “These changes do not impact the Museum,” Mederski said in an email update.

“If you have donated or loaned motorcycles, they will still be at the Museum, in Anamosa, Iowa, and the Museum will be open daily, year-round,” he added. “The Museum and J&P Cycles do promote each other in their respective marketing work, and with J&P Cycles’ reach to over a million customers, it has been, and we trust will to continue to be a helpful marketing partner for the Museum.”

For the founders, whose son is an executive with J&P/MAG, the news is bittersweet. “While I know that improving customer service is important to hold a strong position in the market, and with the Internet, people want everything now, it is painful to see the company that Jill and I built here in Anamosa move its headquarters,” said John Parham. “Having retired from the company a few years ago, we wish the employees and the leadership, including our son, Zach, who serves as Vice President/General Manager all the best, continued success and growth. And I must say we are very grateful for all of you who continue to lend your support to the National Motorcycle Museum.”