Performance Brokerage Services, a new car and Harley-Davidson dealership broker is pleased to announce the sale of Orange County Harley-Davidson in Irvine, California from Ray Malzo and Bill Taylor to Mark Smith. Established in Santa Ana in 1974, Orange County Harley-Davidson has seen many owners over the years. Eventually the dealership relocated to Irvine where it became the largest Harley-Davidson dealership in Orange County. At one point in time, a part of the dealership was used as a research facility for the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. In 1990, cousins and business partners, Ray Malzo and Bill Taylor, acquired the dealership and brought a new wave of modernization. Following the sale of the dealership, Ray Malzo stated, “After 28 years of being a Harley-Davidson dealer, we decided to sell Orange County Harley-Davidson. We reached out to George Chaconas of Performance Brokerage Services because they had sold many of my dealer-friends’ stores. George’s experience and expertise are unmatched in our industry and his communication and honesty were a breath of fresh air. We also want to thank Juan Pardo for his exceptional follow-up and tenacity.”
Mark Smith, the new owner of Orange County Harley-Davidson, is bringing tremendous experience to Irvine. A motorcycle enthusiast since 1992 when he built his first Sportster, Mark Smith also owns and operates Stampede Harley-Davidson in Burleson, Texas and Harley-Davidson of Fort Worth, Texas. In 2015, Mark was awarded a new location for a Harley-Davidson dealership in Burleson, which was the first newly added point in 8 years. After the purchase, Mark Smith shared, “We had been looking to expand to Southern California and were very pleased to begin talks for Orange County Harley. With the help of Juan Pardo and George Chaconas, we were able to work through a buy/sell and come to an agreement everyone was happy about. I appreciate their constant follow-up and assistance in making this deal happen, and I would highly recommend Performance Brokerage Services if you are looking to buy or sell a dealership.”
George C. Chaconas, the exclusive agent for this transaction and the head of the National Harley-Davidson and Powersports Division for Performance Brokerage Services commented, “After so many years building such an iconic Harley-Davidson dealership, it brings me great pleasure to have assisted Ray and Bill with accomplishing their goals. I wish them both an enjoyable retirement. I am very excited for Mark as I believe he is going to experience much growth and success with his acquisition of Orange County Harley-Davidson.”