ANAMOSA
J&P Cycles may be moving to Louisville, Ky., but its long history lies in Anamosa.
John Parham, the company’s founder, moved to Anamosa in 1956 at age 2 when his dad took a position at the Maquoketa Valley Rural Electric Cooperative. In his biography, “Keeping the World on 2 Wheels,” several family and friends recounted Parham’s early love for bicycles and entrepreneurship.
At age 16, Parham owned a small 60cc Honda, which he eventually traded for a twin-cylinder Kawasaki, which was traded for another bike and so on.
In those days, films and television rendered the motorcycle industry a reputation of rebellion and the outlaw mentality, a status the book says young people of the time found quite attractive.
Parham graduated from high school in 1973 and immediately began working at a department store, where he eventually rose to assistant manager. He went on to bounce from one job to the next, but eventually he decided he wanted to own his own business. Parham teamed with his friend, Donald Brown, and in 1976, they founded D&J Cycles.
Recognizing Anamosa’s relatively small market, Parham rode to local motorcycle swap meets and sold parts. In 1977, Parham organized his own swap meet in Monticello.
However, the partnership didn’t last long. While Parham took an interest in Harley Davidson motorcycles and parts, Brown saw the market swaying toward Japanese motorcycles. Eventually, the two agreed their visions of the business were incompatible, and they ended the partnership.
Parham founded J&P Cycles, keeping the “&” because he wanted to maintain familiarity with his past business. He rented a dirt-floor garage and set up a business phone in his basement. A few months later, Parham moved the business to a small dirt-floor building on the outskirts of Anamosa.
In 1984, an electrical fire burned down J&P Cycles with the building and its supplies under-insured by $35,000. On top of this, Parham’s other venture into the arcade gaming industry failed as well.
Despite this, Parham continued with the business, renting a vacant storefront on Highway 151, outside Anamosa. This storefront became the permanent residence for J&P Cycles. When first bought, it covered 6,000 square feet. Today, that number has expanded to 165,000 square feet.
In 1985, J&P Cycles published its first catalog, consisting of four pages. In 1991, the catalog reached 96 pages.
In 1999, the company celebrated its 20th anniversary. The catalog reached 692 pages, a 50,000 square foot expansion began and J&P Cycles was named a Top 100 Dealer by Dealernews.
In 2001, Parham opened the National Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame, moving it from its original South Dakota location. Along with this, J&P Cycles was sold to the Motorsport Aftermarket Group. By this time, the company had grown considerably and continued to expand.
Ormond Beach, Fla., was a popular spot for motorcycle enthusiasts, with several stores already set up. In 2007, J&P Cycles opened their Destination Daytona SuperStore in Ormond Beach.
In 2011, Jill and John Parham retired from J&P Cycles, leaving their son, Zach, to take their place heading the company.
Today, J&P Cycles is the largest motorcycle parts and accessories retailers in the world, with a catalog surpassing 1,000 pages. With more than $30 million in online retail sales, the company shows no signs of slowing down.
J&P CYCLES TIMELINE
1976: John Parham and Don Brown found D&J Cycles.
1979: John Parham splits with D&J Cycles and goes on to found J&P Cycles in a dirt-floor garage.
1980: J&P Cycles moves to dirt-floor building outside Anamosa.
1984: J&P Cycles fire destroys building and ruins majority of supply. A few months later, John Parham moves business to warehouse on Highway 151 outside Anamosa.
1985: J&P Cycles starts its first catalog along with organizing a motor cycle swap meet in Chicago’s McCormick Place. This show would go on to become the world’s biggest swap meet every year.
1990: J&P Cycles opens a seasonal storefront in Sturgis, N.D., for the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
1994: J&P Cycles reaches $2.6 million in sales.
1996: J&P Cycle’s entire catalog is put online.
1999: J&P Cycles celebrates 20th anniversary and is named a Top 100 Dealer by Dealernews.
2001: The National Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame holds its grand opening in Anamosa.
2001: J&P is sold to the Motorsport Aftermarket Group.
2007: J&P Cycles opens its Destination Daytona Superstore in Ormund Beach, Florida.
2011: Jill and John Parham retire. Zach Parham takes their place.
2015: J&P Cycles announces closing of their headquarters in Anamosa with plans to move the operations to Louisville, Ky., and Dallas.
