FT. WORTH’S CHOPPER SUPPLY CO STICKS TO TRADITION
Buy American; it’s a phrase that’s often used to infer support rather than excellence. In ideal cases, it’s the later which is the reason for the product and the reasons for purchasing. There are some things that are considered so connected with a location in the world that their preeminence is a given: champagne, sushi, timepieces, etc. The United States can boast of Jazz, Rock & Roll, Hollywood films (with Bollywood and China closely approaching), and most assuredly Choppers. Buying American should not be about profit margins, it should be based on rewarding exemplary skill. A perfect representation of this attitude, performance, and style is Chopper Supply Co. in Texas. If the question is “How could you make a chopper company in the US more American?” the answer would be, “Locate it in Texas.”
Kenny Kirk (co-founder, co-owner of Chopper Supply Co.) started as a craftsman before collecting original equipment manufacturer motorcycle parts with (co-founder) Jim Harper. A shared vision of opening a shop as an alternative to the mass produced parts generally offered to the public led them to open the doors of Chopper Supply Co. in May of 2016. The company’s home base is rooted in tradition with its location in the historic Forth Worth Stockyards. Their brick & mortar home base says something about these men, the company, and their values. They claimed the broken down dilapidated structure, gutted it, and transformed it into a hub of art, community, and of course…choppers. Their methods espouse the very ethic that you can create something of lasting value with love, hard work, and talent.
Even when you appreciate tradition, a business has to be visible and appeal to those who “get it.” While they love the American choppers which they work on, there’s no lack of appreciation for the skills of others not from their homeland. Kirk and Harper hired Canadian Claudia Simoes as the production designer/graphic designer/creative director for Chopper Supply Co. because, as Kenny explains, “She possesses the talent and understands the modern media landscape while simultaneously respecting our more traditional approach. Some people want to impose their vision on your product; we weren’t interested in that. Claudia listened to us and formulated a plan based on our ideas but with suggestions that made them even better. She created the perfect bridge between what we do and the people who love the same things.” Simoes describes, “Some professionals might try to simply create an aesthetic that gets noticed or causes heads to turn. American Chopper Co. feels deeply about respecting their process. They’re not about fashion, they’re about classic integrity and I wanted to spotlight that.”
Whether or not they set out to achieve this, Chopper Supply Co. has become a tourist destination. People love seeing someone excel, be it in sports, music, or choppers. There’s a duality in the clientele at their Ft. Worth headquarters; the “real” customers who have sought out this company from numerous locations, and those who come to feel the community and “cool” factor that permeates the very air at Chopper Supply Co., which is undeniable. The company’s appearance at events such as the Giddy Up Vintage Chopper Show and the Born Free Motorcycle Show testify that you might be in ideologically disparate locations like Texas or California and yet still be attracted to the American DNA of Chopper Supply Co.
Author: Kelly James
