A well-known bicycle shop brand from Metro Detroit is moving into the Ann Arbor market, taking over a former bicycle store space and making it its own.
Fraser Bicycle is building out the former Two Wheel Tango space at 3162 Packard. Construction on the 6,500-square-foot storefront is ongoing and working toward a July opening.
"There is a lot of work that needs to get done at the building first," says Ron Schmid, general manager of Fraser Bicycle. He adds that the company choose the location because of established reputation as a bike shop. "It would be easy to move in and open a new bike shop there," he says.
Fraser Bicycle has been operating out of Fraser since 1967. It opened a second location in Canton last December. However, its customers wanted to see another location further west in the region, specifically in Ann Arbor.
"We found that a lot of them aren't willing to leave Ann Arbor," Schmid says. "We also wanted to be close to the campus as well for repair business."
Fraser Bicycle currently employs 16 people after hiring nine over the last year. Those new hires include sales and bike fitting professionals. Schmid expects to employs a staff of 6-10 people when it opens the Ann Arbor store this summer.
Source: Ron Schmid, general manager of Fraser Bicycle
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
News from Concentrate