2015 Rhode Island Entrepreneurial Success

Justin Hoffler on his bike

When Justin Hoffler was a little boy, he spent countless hours riding his Big Wheel and his bicycle. When he was older, he moved on to dirt bikes and eventually ATVs. The only thing that truly rivaled Justin’s love of riding these machines was how they worked: the engineering behind them, the way the gears worked, how the engines generated power, etc. Justin’s mind never stopped thinking about how these things functioned, as well as how to take them apart and rebuild them.

His love of engineering took him to the University of Connecticut, where he majored in mechanical engineering. His first real business transactions were actually selling used parts on eBay, but soon Justin realized that his knowledge of motorsports and his ability to repair bikes and ATVs could actually be a viable business. Shortly after, Justin combined his education with his love of motorsports and began repairing dirt bikes and ATVs in his small garage back home.

But nothing could keep his passion and his entrepreneurial spirit contained to such a small space for long, and in 2010 Justin moved into a 1,600-square-foot facility, doubled his inventory and hired four employees. With his tenacious attitude and desire to always treat the customer well, Justin’s business began to get some traction. Slowly his shop expanded in size, number of employees, and sales.

In just four short years, Justin’s inventory grew to over 30,000 items, 50 times larger than when he started out. He continues to sell online to supplement the work he does in his shop. His staff has tripled in size and he has recently moved into an almost 20,000-square-foot facility. This new facility gives Justin the ability to house both the in-house repairs he and his crew provide on a daily basis and the massive amount of inventory he sells, some of which is shipped across the country on a 24-hour continuous cycle.

For his demonstrated success and potential for continued growth, the U.S. Small Business Administration is pleased to honor Justin C. Hoffler, Owner of Muff’s Motorsports, with the 2015 Rhode Island SBA Entrepreneurial Success Award.

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