Paradise Harley-Davidson sold to Paulson and Thomas
Paradise Harley-Davidson, in Tigard, Oregon, has changed ownership, with industry veterans Erik Paulson and Dave Thomas acquiring the dealership from longtime owner Mike Durbin in a transaction that closed Feb. 2.
The sale was facilitated by MD Johnson and Rockmoor Consulting, with Dave Thomas of MD Johnson and Andre Lecompte of Rockmoor Consulting representing the parties.
Durbin is stepping away from the powersports industry after more than two decades as an owner-operator. During his tenure, Paradise Harley-Davidson built a reputation as a stable presence in its market, serving Harley-Davidson riders with a full lineup of new and pre-owned motorcycles, parts, service and community-focused events.
The new ownership team brings deep dealership experience from both the automotive and powersports sides of the business. Paulson, a Portland native, previously served as operating partner of Michael’s Toyota in Bellevue, Washington, where he was involved in day-to-day dealership operations and long-term growth strategy. Thomas, also a Portland native, was the operating partner of High Desert Harley-Davidson in Boise, Idaho, and is well known in the Harley-Davidson dealer community.
With the new ownership in place, Paradadise Harley has been renamed Steelhead Harley-Davidson, as the name change was posted on social media along with the ownership announcement.
Advisors involved in the transaction said the pairing of Paulson and Thomas brings a complementary mix of retail operations, financial discipline and brand-specific experience to the dealership.
Rockmoor Consulting, based in Carlsbad, California, specializes in buy-sell transactions and advisory services for powersports, automotive and RV dealers. MD Johnson is a long-established advisory firm focused on dealership transactions across the automotive and powersports industries.
