Cycle Central buys Performance Footwear

Cycle Central buys Performance Footwear
Story and photo by Gary Bégin
A new powerhouse in the world of Wenatchee recreation has just taken form in the guise of fun and fashion. It is the purchase of Performance Footwear by Cycling Central and the marriage seems to be made in heaven.
After all, what more could active feet want than to be merged with the perfect bike pedals on a trail or road course somewhere in beautiful North Central Washington?
Now the owners of both stores, Greg and Carmen Frislie, have given the
Wenatchee community special options available only those savvy enough to grab the opportunity of savings served from both ends of the block.
The Frislies took a moment from their twice as busy day to answer a few questions posed by the Wenatchee Business Journal recently.
WBJ: Why did you do purchase Performance Footwear?
Frislies: When Carmen and I were looking to move to Wenatchee six years ago, it really was about adopting a community, caring for it and serving it the best way we knew how. Performance Footwear allows us to spread our arms out a lot wider then before, serving more people and doing our part to make our community a happier place to live. We are both on the same page about guest experience, showing people they matter and taking necessary time to do life with our guests. It really never has been about the money to us. Don't get me wrong, everyone likes to have some money in their pockets, but it really isn't as satisfying as making a difference in someone's day.
WBJ: How will this purchase help your bottom line with the bike shop?
Frislies: Both stores have a lot of the same customer base we have discovered. We will offer quite a bit of cross marketing opportunities for our guests to enjoy both locations. Cycle Central is what we would consider to be seasonal although with snowboards, skis and gear added this year it has smoothed out our major slow period. Performance Footwear is more consistent. This will be nice as we like to keep everyone employed throughout the year and minimize the seasonal employee model at Cycle Central.
WBJ: Will you keep staff in place or take a personal hands on position at Performance Footwear?
Frislies: We love the staff at Performance Footwear and we hope they stay. They are extremely knowledgable about all the great brands we carry and we love that they understand how to serve and seem to be very excited about the plans we have presented to them. Regarding a hands on position, I will be putting the bulk of the time in initially and then both Carmen and I will have a tag team approach after several months jumping back and forth between stores.
WBJ: Will the two shops coordinate special sales events in the future?
Frislies: No question. We really look for ways to reward others who support us and this will be one of them. We are very excited about the possibilities here.
WBJ - Anything to add about the future?
Frislies: Regarding the future, the sky is the limit, it just takes good people that want to grow with you, and more importantly, understand your mission/vision. Like we always tell our team at Cycle Central, if you are going to do something be the best at it, even if you aren't, try like you are. Stay tuned to see what the future holds.