Chunky River Harley Davidson, for years hidden on B Street, is almost a landmark in Meridian, with its modern architecture and impressive array of road iron in front.

    Thousands of people see the business every month as they ride by on I-20 headed to Birmingham or Atlanta from Dallas.

    While the outward appearance has remained the same, inside, a metamorphosis is taking place, as new owner Hal Cooper makes fundamental changes to the processes and attitudes in the inner workings of the company.

    Cooper, originally from north Alabama, has taken the helm as owner of the business. Chunky River is Cooper’s first Harley Davidson dealership. Cooper spent 18 years in the airline industry and retired from that with the idea of finding something to do. It all started with him purchasing a Harley Davidson motorcycle.

    “My story is like a million other people. I rode as a kid and then life gets in the way,” Cooper said. “So I started riding again in 2003. Took the rider’s academy course, decided it was something I could do. Bought a bike. Started looking at businesses that I thought I wanted to own and while riding my Harley I wondered if that was a good business.”

    “And here I am,” Cooper said.

    With new ownership comes changes.

     “There are going to be substantial changes to the business,” Cooper said.  “Some the customer will see, some the customer won’t see.”

    “The biggest change, and I am trying to instill this in all of my employees, and let the customers know what we’re doing is we are a ‘customer focused’ business,” Cooper said.

    Cooper wants to create a “high end retail” experience for the customers of Chunky River. “By high end I don’t mean just dollars, I mean the experience,” he said.  “If you’ve ever been into a Neiman Marcus, or a Saks Fifth Avenue, that’s a different experience than going into a J.C. Penney’s. Our customers deserve to have that experience,” Cooper said.

    The service department will reflect that attitude as well.

    Cooper said, “A Harley Davidson motorcycle is a fantastic piece of technology. It’s not something a shade tree mechanic can or should get engaged in.”

    Cooper plans to continue the Chunky River tradition of the annual crawfish boil. “Part of what our business model is, is entertainment,” he said. He also plans to hold more events and introduce other new events to the area.

    Cooper also plans to make the avenue to the experience smoother. They have re-certified to have a local riders academy to teach riders how to ride safely.

Another change is more financing options for motorcycles. Where there was only one option previously, Cooper has added three new choices, included the ability to lease pre-owned bikes, opening the door for more people to ride.

    Finally, to make the customer experience better, Cooper decided to open the dealership on Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

    Chunky River Harley-Davidson is located at 584 Bonita Lakes Dr. in Meridian. For more information, call the store at 601-482-4131 or toll free at 877-482-4131. The store’s website can be found at http://crh-d.com.