If you grew up in Paris, you might happen to remember the car dealership that once occupied 255 1st SW Street in downtown Paris.
While the building has been vacant for years, besides storing over 40 vehicles, today launched a new era for the historic building as South Main Iron opened their doors.
“Everything in the building is original from the wiring and windows to the smell and it’s that old, industrial feel that we love,” said owner Ryan Whitaker
Ryan Whitaker has been in the powersport business for almost 16 years and you may recognize his face from working most of those years at Harley Davidson.
“I had moved up as high as I could with Harley Davidson and seemed to work more hours and spend less time with the family. I wanted my family to be involved in the business and so we opened South Main Iron,” said Whitaker.
However, South Main Iron wasn’t always named that, in fact, Whitaker had originally planned on opening Whitaker’s Power Sports on Loop 286 before being approached by Chip Harper.
“Chip asked me how dead set I was on building my business on the loop and said he wanted me to put my business in downtown Paris. I said I think you’ve lost your mind,” laughed Whitaker.
His mind quickly changed, however, after seeing the building and the potential that it could be.
And so, South Main Iron was born.
“It took about a week to clean it but the potential was huge. This will be our flagship headquarters and I want all our other stores nationwide to have this atmosphere; it’s iconic,” said Whitaker.
South Main Iron has everything you can imagine…previously enjoyed.
Motorcycles, side-by-sides, ATV’s, scooters and more, plus a parts and service department and clothing.
“We have you covered with everything including financing, all our sales staff can take care of financing, and I believe a handshake goes a long way. We’ve built that trust with our customers and will always take care of them.”
Speaking of taking care of their customers, South Main Iron has a waiting area with TV, new couches, and snacks, plus cornhole boards and shuffleboard for those wanting a friendly game while they wait.
“We have plans to expand within this building over the next year and have a lot of exciting things going on which will include live concerts in South Main Iron in the near future.”
So whether you want to take a peek at a historic building that has been revitalized or are looking at buying a motorcycle, South Main Iron has you covered.
