Very Few businesses have the kind of history which we enjoy at Morgan & Wacker, and ours is a history of which we are extremely proud.
We opened the doors over 90 years ago in May of 1917. Let's put that into context...
1917 - was just 14 years after the Wright brothers first flew a powered airplane.
1917 - was only 5 years after the Titanic sank in the North Atlantic.
1917 - world war 1 was still raging in Europe
1917 - was 19 years before the Tasmanian Tiger became extinct
Right from that very first year we were an Authorised Distributor for Harley-Davidson, and we've sold a bewildering variety of other brands...British, American and European...over the years.
Bob Morgan who was involved at the beginning left the business after only one year or so, leaving the brothers Henry and Bill Wacker running the show at the original address in McLachlan Street, Fortitutide Valley. In the 1920's the shop moved to Elizabeth Street in the centre of Brisbane, Bill's son Bruce began his fitting and turning apprenticeship in 1947, and Henry's sons Doug and Keith joined as well.
The early 1960's saw the introduction of a Marine department to complement the motorcycles, and Henry handed over as Managing Director to Bruce in 1970. The move to the current Newstead premises was in 1967, and it is here that Bruce's son Mark joined in 1978...great timing as Bruce and Mark led us headlong into the Harley-Davidson boom which began in the early 1980's...and hasn't slowed yet.
Our current longest-serving staff member, Dennis Young, started work in 1969, and Dennis' loyalty is just one example of the many among the staff and managers who have been with us for dozens of years.
In the late eighties the Marine department was closed so all resources and energy could be concentrated on these amazing Harleys and our family of customers, and we introduced HOG to Queensland at the end of the decade.
A new venture in 1993 was the opening of Gold Coast Harley-Davidson. The other half of our Joint Managing Directors, Brad, joined in 1995 after a distinguished career in accounting, and Bruce handed over the reins to his sons in that year.
The extension into Morgan & Wacker Motorcycle Training Centre occurred in 1999, and our newest division, Morgan & Wacker Rentals, began operations in February in 2003.
Bruce Wacker remembers 10 or 12 speedway bikes which used to live in the shop, and were race-prepared for the old Davies Park Speedway by his dad Bill. Bruce also recalls some of the beach race meetings, and Hillclimbs just behind Purtell Park....the involvement of the Wacker family in motorcycling as a lifestyle, and in racing, has never deviated. The managers and staff are also encouraged and assisted to ride, race and socialise with our customers...many of whom become fast and firm friends.
So there's the reason for the stability and longetivity of Morgan & Wacker...this family company has had only three Managing Directors (currently joint) since 1917, and an equally long and strong commitment to sharing a lifestyle with customers and staff.
We've said this before, but in 1917 Henry and Bill Wacker had a specific and stated intention to operate the business with fairness and decency, and the family line through Bruce to Mark and Brad has never deviated from that path.
It's led us now to over 90 years in business. We're in it for the long haul...and to us, every year marks further evolution and continuous improvement.