A town motorbike business is set to expand after sales took off following a move to a more prominent location.
Davey Bros Motorcycles decided to move to a former bank on a corner site a the junction of Hatfield Road and Felixstowe Road in Ipswich in February 2021 from its old home in Alan Road.
It is in the process of converting the 1,822sq ft building and is already reporting “encouraging” sales at its new showroom with 30 sales under its belt so far.
It has taken on more staff and is aiming to complete its new workshop and MOT bays by the end of June.
Davey Bros is a family firm launched in 1959 by Peter and Brian Davey. It is now run by local bike enthusiast Mark Gardiner, wife Joanne, and her father, George.
Mark first became involved with Davey Bros as a young boy as his father was a loyal customer.
“Since we opened, we have sold upwards of 30 bikes,” he said. “We are finding that we are attracting a lot of interest in our scooters — of which we are a specialist — to both female and male customers and especially younger riders.
“These are ideal for those looking to gain a bit of independence, and provide affordable and safe transportation, particularly if you live outside the town area. Electric bikes are also a strong seller, and we have been keen to get behind this up-and-coming technology.”
The new “light and characterful” showroom was giving them more visibility as well as going down very well with existing customers, he added.
“We are proud of what we offer here at Davey Bros and we have been able to take on a new staff member recently, meaning that we are investing, not just in the local area, but also in local people.”
Estate agents Penn Commercial, which brokered the deal, said the new site offered “great visibility and presence” for the business.
“We have been happy to assist in the growth of this long-standing local company,” said Robin Cousins, associate at Penn Commercial. “We are very pleased that Davey Bros is benefiting from its prime new town centre location and that demand is proving strong for its impressive range of small motorcycles and scooters."
The bank building includes a banking hall, offices and storage on the ground floor and staff facilities, kitchen and storage on the first floor.
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