Pocono Mountain Harley-Davidson owners sell dealership

Performance Brokerage Services, North America’s highest volume dealership brokerage firm, has announced the sale of Pocono Mountain Harley-Davidson of Tannersville, Pennsylvania from Jim and Linda Schlier to Steve and Anne Deli of American Road Group.

Jim Schlier’s background includes opening a body mechanic shop, serving as a volunteer EMT, and eventually establishing a well-respected towing company in the community, Schlier’s Towing & Recovery.

Linda Schlier and her family owned and operated multiple candle shops in the Pocono Mountain area. In 2002, Linda began working for Schlier’s towing, where she met Jim. After Jim and Linda married, they purchased a beautiful historic building and opened The Candle Shoppe of Pocono’s.

With a shared love of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, the Schliers purchased Pocono Mountain Harley-Davidson in 2013, which was then located in Snydersville, Pennsylvania. Realizing the dealership’s greater potential, combined with their commitment to the brand, the Schliers decided to build a new dealership facility in Tannersville, Pennsylvania.

Completed in 2020, the new dealership is a masterpiece. Nestled on the side of a mountain, it draws the attention of enthusiasts and visitors, regardless of their motorcycle background. No detail was left out, including a beautiful outdoor patio overlooking the Pocono Mountain landscape.

The dealership’s Grand Opening drew over 3,000 attendees and featured live bands, a variety of vendors, and buses to transport guests. The event drew such a crowd that it sold out all lodging facilities in town and the surrounding areas.

The Schliers shared the following farewell message, “We would like to thank all of our family, employees, customers, and suppliers from our businesses throughout the years. If it wasn’t for all of you, our success & drive would have never been attainable. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank and will miss every single one of you. We want to thank our wonderful children, Jimmy, Jamie, and Falon, and Jim’s brother Kevin for their hard work. Ride safe and see you down the road.”

Following the sale, Jim Schlier commented, “We would like to thank George Chaconas and Courtney Bernhard of Performance Brokerage Services for their hard work in getting this sale to the finish line. As you can imagine, selling a dealership of this size is no easy undertaking. They successfully identified the most strategic buyer that made an offer we felt was in the best interest of everyone involved. We appreciate George and Courtney’s professionalism, problem solving skills, and always being available as needed. I would also like to thank my longtime family attorney, George Westervelt, for his commitment and hard work, concurrently selling both of my companies. While fully retiring may not be our end game, we look forward to the next chapter in life, and being able to enjoy what Linda and I have worked so hard to build.”

After having the opportunity to attend the closing and spend several days at the dealership among employees and customers, Courtney Bernhard commented, “I truly feel blessed to see the product of the Schlier’s hard work and dedication. It was evident while listening to many riders who attended the H.O.G. Chapter meeting, which would be held for the last time under the Schlier’s ownership, that Jim and Linda are truly loved by their community. I appreciated being invited to the employee dinner and listening to stories and well wishes for the entire Schlier family. I hope Jim and Linda will get some well-deserved downtime, and that their next adventure in Florida will be just what they need.”  

Over the last five years, Performance Brokerage Services has advised on the sale of over 250 dealerships, making it the highest volume dealership brokerage firm in North America. In 2021, the company consummated over 72 transactions, marking a record-breaking year.

George C. Chaconas, the exclusive advisor for this transaction and head of the National Harley-Davidson and Powersports Division for Performance Brokerage Services commented, “I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Jim Schlier for over ten years. I previously helped him buy fixed assets from a nearby Harley-Davidson dealership in New Jersey, which I also helped permanently close. Jim invited me to meet with him and his lovely wife, Linda, to discuss an exit strategy and their succession plan. Shortly thereafter, we were hired to move forward with a sale. After speaking with several qualified powersports and automotive buyers, we ultimately negotiated a deal with Steve and Anne Deli of American Road Group. With the help of Brian Daly, CFO of American Road Group, and my Associate, Courtney Bernhard, we were able to work through agreements and negotiations to successfully reach an outcome where both parties were happy. We had our challenges along the way, but we persevered, stayed on track, and had a successful closing. I want to sincerely thank the Schlier family for the privilege and honor to represent them in the sale of their dealership. Pocono Mountain Harley-Davidson is a beautiful, state-of-the-art facility, and a true destination dealership. I would like to congratulate American Road Group for making another acquisition and growing their Harley-Davidson dealership group. It was a pleasure to work with Steve Deli, who I’ve known since I started in the industry over 20 years ago and look forward to working together again in the future. I wish Jim and Linda a wonderful retirement in Florida.”

In 1985, Steve Deli was Managing Director at Dean Witter Reynolds in Chicago, and was asked to refinance Harley-Davidson Motor Company. After successfully completing the refinance, Deli went on to build HDMC, now known as Harley-Davidson Financial Services, which provides consumer financing for Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

Anne Deli had an impressive career at a well-known advertising agency and brand consulting firm on Madison Avenue in New York. Anne was hired by Harley-Davidson as a consultant and went on to become the Vice President of Global Brand Management and Marketing, making her the first female Vice-President at Harley-Davidson Motor Company.

In 2000, Steve and Anne Deli decided to take their combined experience and become dealership owners. They formed American Road Group and purchased a Harley-Davidson dealership in Orlando, Florida. For the past twenty plus years, they have built an extremely successful family of Harley-Davidson businesses across the United States.

The dealership will retain the name Pocono Mountain Harley-Davidson and remain at its current location at 110 Hill Motor Lodge Road in Tannersville, Pennsylvania.

Steve and Anne Deli were represented by Logan Parker and Greg May of Bass Sox Mercer in Tallahassee, Florida.

Jim and Linda Schlier were represented by George W. Westervelt, Jr. in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.