“I’ve begun looking at several stores. There is lots of opportunity out there. I’ll be looking at some and probably making some choices over the next six months or so,” Baker said. “I’ve gotten to look at several. People that are getting out of the business, some of them see the upturn in the market as a positive sign. This is an opportunity for them to get out and pass the baton.”
Texas, he said, has some insulation from national economic downturns because of the oil and farming industries. That helps drive demand for ATVs and keep payrolls up for recreational users.
“We have a good, stable economy that has not been affected by the downturn as much as other places,” Baker said. “Not that we didn’t get hit, we did. But maybe not as much as some other parts of the world.”
So now the two are ready to divide and conquer, adding stores to both networks in niches that work for both. But one more thing may change for Lackey.
“I’m probably going to have to work a lot harder than I’ve had to over the last couple of years,” he said.
