On your bike

24 February 2022

Matt Jones Motorcycles (MJM) has built a name for itself selling and repairing two-wheelers, and the business namesake took some time out recently to catch VACC CEO Geoff Gwilym up on current operations.

Matt Jones’ automotive career began at 16 with a panel beating apprenticeship at a local panel shop. While he enjoyed the trade and time in the shop, he couldn’t shake his passion for two-wheelers and at 20 he headed to the UK to try his hand at speedway racing.

Upon returning to Australia, Matt continued panel beating and racing before taking the leap and establishing the JAWA speedway motorcycle dealership in Australia. In those early days, he ran the business from his parents’ property, but in 2007 it was time to expand. Matt began talks with Kawasaki – it was a great opportunity, at the time there wasn’t an agent set up in his local area.

"It was all thanks to speedway. The guy I spoke to... met me at an expo and remembered me and it all just rolled on from there," said Matt. Being only in his mid-20s, at first Kawasaki hesitated – although taking a risk on a young panel beater has proven to be a winning decision.

The deal was done, and Matt hasn’t looked back. They welcomed Honda into the family two and a half years ago, and with the new addition came new premises. "We put the feelers out... and Honda came to see us. We wanted to expand to include another brand," said Matt. "At that stage, we had outgrown the previous location anyway."

From the beginning, the team had realistic expectations. "We weren't going to double the business; we were probably going to lift it up 30 per cent with a different brand… although this year has proved us wrong – we've doubled everything."

Could a one brand band survive in today's business climate? "Yes. If you had a small enough crew. It’s one of those things. The bigger you get; you don't necessarily make more money," said Matt. He acknowledges making that judgement and finding balance isn’t always easy for small and medium-sized business owners.

Speaking of staff, the automotive industry’s skill shortage became a topic of conversation. Fortunately, Matt isn’t struggling to retain staff – unlike many other Chamber member-businesses. Sales Manager Richard has been with MJM for eight years, their mechanic for seven. In part, Matt puts it down to workplace culture. "Recently, our focus has been on work/life balance. So, we used to work every Saturday. That was the deal. Now, we rotate. Even me... just to have a full weekend.” And while there are no apprentices on the books now, there could be in the future. "We've had a couple of good kids come through for work experience."

Although staffing hasn’t proved an issue, MJM has still faced its fair share of challenges. “During the COVID-19 lockdowns, people couldn't even come to the door, it was all over the phone or online... and then we pushed the stock out the back and did a handover. Not the way you want to run a business. Everyone was working so much harder, for the same result... always on the phones and running around.”

Additionally, with supply chain constraints, securing parts continues to be a struggle. "Kawasaki is probably the worst affected. They send parts out to the warehouse no problem, it's the trade companies we can't get them through. The parts are in Australia, that's not the problem." More generally, dealership land is changing thanks to the introduction of the agency model. Matt is monitoring things but wonders whether motorcycles are next in line…

However, for now, it’s business as usual. Matt is looking at room for improvement. "You've just got to keep moving forward, otherwise you're going backwards, aren't you?"