PISGAH FOREST – The marquee outside a new Pisgah Forest business proudly proclaims, “Love your garage? You gotta see this!”
American Garage is a 3,750-square-foot showroom owned by Micah and Jerry Ansley, brothers who recently sold their home and auto audio-video business in Clearwater, Fla., to cater more directly to vehicle enthusiasts like themselves.
“I’ve always been a car and motorcycle guy,” Chief Executive Micah Ansley, 52, explained. “I’ve been riding a motorbike since I was 11 and have been around cars as a business for 35 years. What we offer at American Garage is a shopping destination where serious enthusiasts can get the top-of-the-line American products for their car, motorcycle or garages.”
“I’m not the biker Micah is because I’m more devoted to cars and the details that go into making them look their best,” said Jerry Ansley, 55, the company’s president. “But everyone loves the concept we’ve put together and I’m happy to be able to bring this type of environment to the people who enjoy it the most.”
Inside a sparkling showroom watched over by a white German Shepherd named Brondo, the Ansley brothers and two other full-time employees sell their own brand of detailing products in addition to signs, floor mats and custom car covers that can be designed based on 100,000 patterns. American Garage also offers custom garage flooring in 16 colors, storage cabinets, retractable workbenches that fold flat to a wall and other products such as chrome molding and shelves to enhance the appearance of a car buff’s workspace.
The least expensive item may be a $5 pad used to prevent a bike’s kickstand from sinking into mud or gravel. Full garage renovations can run into the thousands.
“Enthusiasts don’t quit loving their cars or bikes during a recession,” Micah said. “They may be more careful with their purchases, but we want them to know we appreciate their business and plan to stand behind our slogan, ‘man’s next-best friend.’”
Jennifer Kerr, the garage’s office manager and a motorcycle specialist, is a Hendersonville native who said she believes the new business is a natural fit for Western North Carolina.
“I’ve ridden out Highway 280 into Pisgah National Forest thousands of times, and this is exactly what is needed for the area,” she said. “When people walk through the door, it’s such a unique shop that even if this isn’t their type of thing, they can’t help but say, ‘Wow.’”
The store is surrounded by rustic rocking chairs where customers are invited to sit for a spell, and the Ansleys hope to expand that neighborly atmosphere by opening a Southern-style family restaurant and maybe even a campground for motorcycle riders on the 14-acre property.
“We want to be a destination that focuses on Americans’ love of cars and motorcycles,” Micah Ansley said. “I’m not afraid to dream big, and this is the perfect location to do that.”
Source: Citizen-Times.com
