It’s time for a western Illinois business to put the kickstand down for good.
The owners of Reiman’s Harley-Davidson in Kewanee say they’re selling. The last day in business, expected to be cash-only, is Saturday, selling merchandise. Dennis Packee and family are selling to Peoria’s Walter Brothers Harley-Davidson.
Dennis’ son Scott has also been in the family business for most of the last 26 years, and said on Facebook the decision to sell came over the summer.
“Him and I bought a brand new bass boat four years ago — literally right as COVID hit. We’ve never used it,” said Scott Packee. “I’ll be damned, this summer, I put my boys — his grandboys — in that boat, and we went fishing. When we went fishing, we decided, you know, maybe it’s time that we do…things a little different.”
Scott Packee says running the family business, passed down from legendary motorcycle champion Roger Reiman after his passing in 1997, has been a large part of his family for a long time.
“It is time for us to actually be able to go out and actually go for a ride,” said Packee. “We haven’t got to do that in 26 years, basically. We haven’t been able to go out and actually put our knees in the breeze.”
Scott Packee says he took to Facebook in order to address rumors that have been bubbling up for the last week or so, as the business had been closed for inventory. He says a number of the rumors were “mean,’ so both his family and Walter Brothers said it was time to address those.
Packee says his father is now 80, and deserves all the time to fish, and ride, and rest, he wants.
The sale of the business is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks, said Packee.
