ROB STRAUSS
2006 Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient
Rob Strauss, a 1981 graduate of Johnson Creek High School, has been very busy building his business, Rob’s Performance Motorsports, during the past 25 years. He opened a motorcycle repair shop at the old Watertown Town Hall on Highway 26 in 1982 and went on to become a Ski-Doo dealer. From 1985-1999, Rob’s business was located in downtown Johnson Creek. Needing more space to house his growing business and inventory, Rob built the present store and shop in 2000 on fourteen acres on the corner of Highway 26 and Highway Y in Johnson Creek. The business consists of Bombardier Products and vehicles, Honda motorcycles and ATV’s providing sales, service and accessories for all their products. With Rob as the owner-manager, he has built a staff of 23 employees who help him run the company.
Locally, Rob is a member of the Johnson Creek Chamber of Commerce and supports the Johnson Creek EMS, local athletic clubs and the Johnson Creek Area vacation bible camp. His generosity extends beyond the periphery of Johnson Creek through his donations to various national charities. His dealership has received numerous awards from Ski-Doo including National Dealer of the Year in 1994 and 2001 and most recently the 2006 National Parts, Accessories and Dealer of the Year Award.
Rob attributes his success to a strong work ethic, drive and perseverance. He describes himself as highly motivated to do well as early as sixth grade when he started working at various jobs in the Johnson Creek area. He worked his way through junior high and high school and went on to attend AMI Technical School in Florida where he says he got his start. A successful businessman today, he does not take his position lightly, and speaks of the responsibility he feels for his employees, his customers and his family. Rob and his wife, Jerri, live in rural Helenville with their two children, Morgan, 12 and Taylor, 10.
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