November 10th, 2008 by Dave Perks

Meet the Stricklands

Filed under Branding

So I recently had a chance to sit down with Damon and Ashley Strickland and talk to them about a few things, as well as what the future has in store for Campus Cruizers.

That conversation was great and I wish I had recorded it. But I didn't know I would be writing this blog post then, so I didn't.

Instead, I emailed them several questions a few days ago about their goals for Campus Cruizers and the experience of working with us. Here's what they had to say:

NCI: Why Scooters?
CC: They are a fantastic and affordable way to get around town. They are less harmful to the environment, easy to park, ride and own.

NCI: Why Blacksburg first?
CC: We know the area well and feel that the community itself needs an alternative form of transportation to take care of local daily travel that may not always require the use of an automobile. Blacksburg's landscape and layout are very conducive to scooter travel as many local roadways are less than 40mph.

NCI: Why exclusively 49cc?
CC: That is the highest engine displacement without being a motorcycle. Anything that is 50cc or above is considered a motorcycle and therefore must be licensed registered and insured.

NCI: What scooter models do you sell? Are there other models coming, too?
CC: We currently sell bikes from SYM, Flyscooters, Pierspeed and Sachs. We are constantly looking for other high quality models to add to our showroom.

NCI: What did you do before Campus Cruizers?
CC: I (Damon) received [a] Hospitality & Tourism Management degree from Virginia Tech in 1999 and spent several years opening hotels across the country for Ritz-Carlton, Sea Island Company, Hilton and others.

NCI: What inspired the model behind the store (scooters & apparel)?
CC: We are trying to bring the established popularity of scooters from Europe and other foreign countries to the U.S. thru fashion association.

NCI: What are your individual roles (Damon & Ashley) within the company?
CC: We both do whatever needs to be done to become successful.

NCI: What do you envision Campus Cruizers to look like 5 years from now?
CC: Duplicated in similar markets with expanded clothing lines and possible rental units.

NCI: Has working with New City changed the way you've thought about anything?
CC: It hasn't changed the thought process as much as it has produced a better clarity of who we are, what changes are possible and what we could do to better position ourselves as a community staple.

NCI: How would you describe the experience so far of working with Brian and Dave at New City?
CC: Very conducive to the free flow thought process. It has been a great experience converting verbal expressions into actionable measures that benefit the image and company we want to be as a representative in the community.

NCI: Do you think New City can help you reach your 5 year goals?
CC: Yes, we are hoping so.

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