It was great to stop at Prism motorcycle shop as I passed through Charlotte, NC, as they prepare for the Congregation show this weekend, Saturday, April 14, 2018.
The shop sits in the really beautiful industrial area Camp North End that is dedicated to the growth of local businesses and entrepreneurs. The Congregation Show will be adjacent to their shop, so if you plan on attending the show, peek in and take a look. Amongst the lifts they have custom bikes they are working on for customers, as well as their bike for the upcoming Born Free event. Prism specializes in custom fabrication and aftermarket parts that are made right at their shop. You’ll find everything from beautiful leather seats to license plate mounts. Parts and accessories are available online or at the shop at 1824 Statesville Ave in Charlotte, North Carolina.
If you are in the Charlotte area this weekend, stop by the Congregation Show, as they have a range of custom choppers, vintage motorcycles, and antique cars. Come grab a beverage and walk around, live bands will keep you entertained all day, and if you're hungry, there are local food truck options throughout the property. There is a whole section of vendors and a special area to pick up current and past DiCE magazines. If you’ve ever missed an issue, this is a great time to grab it!
To get into the Congregation Show, tickets are $10 at the door, kids 13 and under free - so bring the whole family. More information at:
Make sure to find Emilie at the show!! She will be walking around checking out all the action and handing out BH&BR swag!
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We got the chance to sit down with Jake Hindes, one of the founders of Prism Supply Co. and the Congregation Show, to hear his thoughts on running a business and organizing a show in the industry today.
BH&BR: What motivated you to start and build Prism Supply?
Jake Hindes: Prism started as a hobby for my brother Zach in I in 2012. We never had the intentions of doing it full time. It was just something we were extremely passionate about. We loved motorcycles so we started making parts for our personal bikes and posting them on a popular motorcycle blog. People started asking us where we got the parts we were making from. So of course we said we were making them which eventually led to selling them. When we first started we were selling one taillight, one set of handlebars, and one t-shirt.
BH&BR: What sparked the concept for the Congregation Show?
JH: A few years ago, Prism and Dice partnered on throwing a Dice issue release party at a local bar. We ended up having close to 800 people with only a couple weeks of planning. This is when we realized that the East coast scene was craving for shows which made us dream of doing a bigger event which eventually led to The Congregation 2017. We were completely blown away by the success of the first year Congregation. It always has been and always will be our focus to put the spotlight on as many east coast builders as possible. There are a lot of talented east coast builders and we want them to be seen.
BH&BR: What do you think of the rapidly growing number of women in the motorcycle industry?
JH: Its pretty incredible to watch the women motorcycle scene arise! I'm in full support of it. I hope it continues to grow.
BH&BR: Any female builders this year or female builders to look out for?
JH: The first builder that sticks out to me is Savannah that works at SS Cycle. I recently met her at Mama Tried. I drooled over her white sportster at Mama Tried Motorcycle Show which later learned it was feature in Sturgis at The Buffalo Chip.
BH&BR: Any plans to include products that cater to women in the future, or any plans to feature more women?
JH: One thing we consistently get asked is for more women's apparel. I think we just need to hire the BH&BR crew to help us out here! But yes, we absolutely want to expand our women's line and have that on our "to-do" list for this year.
Jake Hindes: Prism started as a hobby for my brother Zach in I in 2012. We never had the intentions of doing it full time. It was just something we were extremely passionate about. We loved motorcycles so we started making parts for our personal bikes and posting them on a popular motorcycle blog. People started asking us where we got the parts we were making from. So of course we said we were making them which eventually led to selling them. When we first started we were selling one taillight, one set of handlebars, and one t-shirt.
BH&BR: What sparked the concept for the Congregation Show?
JH: A few years ago, Prism and Dice partnered on throwing a Dice issue release party at a local bar. We ended up having close to 800 people with only a couple weeks of planning. This is when we realized that the East coast scene was craving for shows which made us dream of doing a bigger event which eventually led to The Congregation 2017. We were completely blown away by the success of the first year Congregation. It always has been and always will be our focus to put the spotlight on as many east coast builders as possible. There are a lot of talented east coast builders and we want them to be seen.
BH&BR: What do you think of the rapidly growing number of women in the motorcycle industry?
JH: Its pretty incredible to watch the women motorcycle scene arise! I'm in full support of it. I hope it continues to grow.
BH&BR: Any female builders this year or female builders to look out for?
JH: The first builder that sticks out to me is Savannah that works at SS Cycle. I recently met her at Mama Tried. I drooled over her white sportster at Mama Tried Motorcycle Show which later learned it was feature in Sturgis at The Buffalo Chip.
BH&BR: Any plans to include products that cater to women in the future, or any plans to feature more women?
JH: One thing we consistently get asked is for more women's apparel. I think we just need to hire the BH&BR crew to help us out here! But yes, we absolutely want to expand our women's line and have that on our "to-do" list for this year.
Thank you Jake for taking the time to answer some questions, we are so excited for what's to come. See you at Congregation!