April 29, 2013 - MMI Grad Builds Motorcycle Shop from Ground Up

Bret Sealy outside his motorcycle business San Saba Ironhorse, Inc. in Richland Springs, Texas.

When Bret Sealy set off from his small Central Texas hometown for Motorcycle Mechanics Institute (MMI) Orlando, he had little more than his Harley, a toolbox and the goal of owning a motorcycle business. Since then, Bret has worked hard as a student struggling to make ends meet, a machinist serving the U.S. Army and National Guard, and a one-man construction company to earn his most prized possession – his own motorcycle repair shop.

Today, he’s back in Richland Springs, Texas, pursuing his passion for motorcycles as president and owner of San Saba Ironhorse, Inc.  But achieving this childhood dream hasn’t come easy.

“From the time I watched a friend ride his dirt bike around our neighborhood, I knew I wanted to be in this industry,” explained Bret. “Whether I was working odd jobs or serving on Army convoy missions, I never lost sight of that goal.”

Though his jobs have varied along the long road to entrepreneurship, Bret’s work ethic has remained strong. While studying at MMI, he earned $100 a day tiling pools. After graduating in 2007, he briefly worked as a technician for a Harley-Davidson dealership, but he couldn’t ignore the desire to be his own boss. To help save enough for startup costs, he joined the Army and trained to be a machinist.

“Besides the chance to serve my country in Iraq and Kuwait, the Army prepared me for the motorcycle business,” said Bret. “When I got back to Texas, I expanded my skills by making wheels and axles for rail cars at machine shops, and fitting pipes for oil and natural gas drilling. Between working as a machinist and my training at MMI and in the military, I feel like I can make just about anything.”

Despite his growing mechanical expertise, Bret still needed to boost his savings to start the business. He joined the National Guard for the weekend drill pay and slowly began laying the foundation for his new motorcycle repair shop … literally. He dug trenches for plumbing, poured the building’s concrete foundation, erected its steel structure, wired electrical systems and painted it inside and out. Until the shop really got off the ground in 2012, his do-it-yourself approach raised more than a few eyebrows around Richland Springs.

“It’s a small town – there were just 16 in my graduating class,” said Bret. “I’ve known lots of people who talk about their dreams, but never do anything about them. I knew I wanted to be different.”

At 27, Bret has developed San Saba Ironhorse into a burgeoning business. Specializing in Harley-Davidson and Yamaha motorcycles, the shop also services other bike brands and ATVs used by hunters who visit the area. He’s boosted profits by fixing wrecked motorcycles he buys from insurance companies and selling them online. MMI’s entrepreneurial training has come in handy as the business has evolved, too.

“Right now, I’m still just a one-man show. But Ironhorse is growing and I hope to hire a team someday,” he said. “If you want to build your own business, you have to understand it’s not going to happen overnight.”

“People had all kinds of negative things to say when I told them about my goal for this shop,” he added. “But if people tell you that you’re just dreaming or being unrealistic, they’re wrong. Don’t let other people’s opinions get in the way of what you want to achieve. It’s all up to you.”

For more information about MMI, please visit: http://www.uti.edu/programs/motorcycle.