Harley Davidson of Michigan City’s Alan “Al” Bock always had a passion for motorcycles, but little did he know that passion would one day turn into a career.
“Like a lot of folks I was introduced to the two-wheel world by my father. Around nine or 10 years old I got an old minibike to tear up the neighborhood fields. My dad taught me everything about that little bike, how to ride it and how to fix it,” Bock said.
Later on, he had a brother-in-law who was big into Harley-Davidson motorcycles. He let Bock ride his bike around town, and he fell in love with the brand. That led him to eventually purchase his first Harley: a 1981 XL1000. He’s only had Harley motorcycles since.
Bock’s interest for motorcycles eventually led him to working in a Honda shop in his home state of Michigan where he sold parts for 15 years. When the shop, unfortunately, closed down, he decided to venture out a bit and visit the Harley-Davidson Shop of Michigan City.
“I was actually working at a metric shop up in Michigan that closed down. I came down here just to look at motorcycles because being out not working, I had time to go out and visit other dealerships. So I came down here and the timing was just right. They were looking for somebody to add to the sales team since they didn't really have many people there,” Bock said.
That day, he came to the dealership to look for a bike but instead left with something better: a new job.
“I wasn't even really looking for a job. I came down here like I said to look at bikes and ended up not even looking at the bike I came down to see,” Bock said. “It was all in timing and circumstance, pretty much.”
Even though he loved motorcycles, he said he never really considered visiting the Michigan City location since he thought it was a little too much out of his way.
“I was actually going to a dealership that was farther away, because, you know, I'm an idiot,” Bock joked. “When I drove down here to look at that bike, I realized it was only like 30 minutes from my house. That was one of the deciding factors when they offered me the job. I'm like, ‘well, it's really not that far.’”
He said what really captivated him was the sense of community he felt from the moment he stepped into the store.
“I enjoy getting to know the different people I work with. It’s definitely more of a team atmosphere than where I was at before,” Bock said. “Even though it is a small commute to work, it feels like home.”
Bock works in sales at Harley-Davidson, and works with customers to help find the best bike for them.
“The first thing I do in the morning is I come in and I check the computer for any of the sales leads. I follow up with any of the calls, or any calls I didn’t finish up the day before; make sure I'm not missing anything. And basically, I make sure the bikes are polished and put out front, and displays and everything are ready to go,” Bock said.
When he first started out, he was a little nervous since he was making a major career jump after leaving a job he had for many years. However, once that jump was made, those nerves quickly disappeared.
“I was a little worried. I don't want to say I'm a little bit older than most of those who start out in the sales here, but I came in from a different world into this one, and it was kind of a culture shock in a good way,” Bock said. “I was stuck in such a rut up there and didn't even realize it until I came down here and realized there's a whole different world out here. So it's been cool.”
Now, Bock has been at the store for two and a half years. He said he never knows what to expect with each workday, and said that means something spectacular can happen at any time. The idea of not knowing what’s coming ahead is intriguing to him.
“You always have to look for that little bit more because you never know what's going on down the road,” he said.
Since Bock previously worked at a metric shop not too far over the Indiana/Michigan border, he realized he already knew a handful of Harley-Davidson’s customers since they frequent both places.
“It's been neat running into a lot of my customers that I didn't realize came down here,” Bock said. “Some of the folks I know because I've ridden Harley's for years. But I also worked at a metric shop. And it was kind of funny because some of my old customers will come in and they were excited to see me down here. They were used to seeing me in the shop and they're like, ‘hey, you finally made the jump,’ and I'm like ‘I've made the jump for years. They're just paying me now.’”
Bock’s story shows it’s never too late to venture out, try new things and follow your interests because it could be just what’s needed to launch the next chapter of your life.
For more information on the Harley-Davidson Shop of Michigan City, visit https://www.hdmichigancity.com/.
