Bike Gallery owner and president Jay Graves announced his retirement and the sale of the company to California-based Trek Bicycle Superstore.
Bike Gallery owner and president Jay Graves announced his retirement and the sale of the company to California-based Trek Bicycle Superstore.
Jay, 54, started working at the Bike Gallery when he was just 15 years old. His first boss was his father, Bob Graves, who opened the shop as a side job in 1974. Back then, Jay worked with his dad and two sisters to get the store off the ground. The family ran the stores together for 23 years before Jay took over for his father. Today, Bike Gallery has over 100 employees and is the eighth largest Trek dealer in the U.S.
With nearly four decades on the retail side of the bike industry, Jay has seen a lot. “When we started, it was the 10-speed craze, then the BMX craze, then the mountain bike craze, then the Lance craze, and now the commuting craze. You know, at some point, you say, ‘OK, I’ve done that, for almost 40 years, and I’d like to do something else.'”
Read more at Bike Portland.
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