If it rolls, Hollister Motorsports has it
It’s easy to see why Mark Rogers and Chris Cason are in business
together.
They share the same easy-going personalities, even finishing
sentences for one another occasionally. More important, they share
a gasoline-fueled passion and a rare dedication to their
customers.
If it rolls, Hollister Motorsports has it
It’s easy to see why Mark Rogers and Chris Cason are in business together.
They share the same easy-going personalities, even finishing sentences for one another occasionally. More important, they share a gasoline-fueled passion and a rare dedication to their customers.
They also share a job title; both are listed as vice presidents of Hollister Motorsports, located at 201 San Benito St. in Hollister.
Cason grew up on car lots. His father was in the business, and as a kid, hanging around the dealership was a natural. “The day I turned 18 I got my [sales] license and started with Bishop Motors here in Hollister,” Cason said. “Cars are all I’ve ever known.” He got to know Rogers when he, too, worked for the former Chrysler dealership.
Ironically, they’re both back where they once were. Hollister Motorsports is located in the original home of Bishop Motors.
But a glance inside the 30,000-square-foot building offers little clue to its origins. Gleaming displays of equipment and apparel front the building. A customers’ lounge offers comfortable seating and a large television. Toward the center of the building, a large, immaculate showroom sparkles with dozens of Kawasaki motorcycles.
Hollister Motorsports sells used autos, new and used motorcycles, ATVs and watercraft and services everything it sells.
“We can sell anything that moves,” Rogers said. “We’re kind of a one-stop shop that way. If somebody needs a truck to haul the Jetski … we can facilitate that.”
Soon, the two announced last week, they’ll even begin renting motorcycles and ATVs, along with trailers to haul them. Hollister Motorsports already packs a trailer displaying the business’ checkered flag logo with new bikes and ATVs for regular demo days at Hollister Hills State Park.
Cason described the off-road vehicle park as “a destination,” one that the community once under appreciated. “Hollister Motor Sports, as a company, is what really got recreational vehicles on the map in Hollister,” Rogers said, noting that the area now is the center of several cycling-centered businesses, including a major manufacturer of custom motorcycle seats.
Hollister Motor Sports was born just around the corner, on Fourth Street, when Rogers’ Pinnacle Auto Sales shared space with the original business. The original Hollister Motorsports was dissolved when Rogers and Cason became partners, and was reborn in its current location straddling Hollister’s main drag just over a year ago.
While consumers are cautiously eying the pumps as gasoline crosses the $4 mark, that’s not particularly bad news for a business featuring small, efficient vehicles. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not happy about $4 gas,” Cason said. “But it’s really getting people to explore alternatives,” Rogers added. They are looking into carrying a line of smaller mopeds and scooters featuring high fuel efficiency.
Hollister Motorsports employs a staff of 12, all but one local residents.
What defines the business, Cason and Rogers agree, is that it’s big enough to offer comprehensive products and services and small enough to feel like family.
“Although we’re small town, we’re not small-town mentality,” Cason said. “We’re all about the relationship. If people patronize us we’ll take care of them. I don’t think anyone is going to get treated better anywhere else.”
Nodding, Rogers agreed. “We don’t expect everyone in town to buy from us, but we hope they’ll give us a chance to earn their business,” he said.
