Biz Buzz

Easy Riders Bicycle and Sportshop in Brainerd expanded its Washington Street imprint by recently purchasing the building next door.

• Photos

Easy Riders, near the corner of Washington and North Fourth Street, purchased the Paulson Tour property as the PTS Tour business moved to the Franklin Arts Center.

Easy Riders, near the corner of Washington Street and North Fourth Street, purchased the Paulson Tour property. The PTS Tour business moved to the Franklin Arts Center. Easy Riders is leasing the office space and plans to reconfigure the parking lot for easier customer access. Brainerd Dispatch/Renee Richardson

Erik and Tammy Paulson, who own PTS Tours, moved their business into the Franklin Arts Center last week. Easy Riders owners Kenn and Lori Shepherd are offering the former travel business office space for lease. Purchasing the corner property is allowing the Shepherds to unify the parking space for easier access with 33 off-street parking spaces.

In addition, the 10,500-square-foot Easy Riders has undergone an interior renovation. Kenn Shepherd reported an extensive upgrade of displays and the floor plan of cherry wood cabinets and displays and brushed alumunium signs were installed this winter.

Shepherd said changes include a larger outdoor clothing department, a 25 percent expansion of the winter sports department for snowboards, downhill and cross country skis and snowshoes, along with an increased number of bicycles, including a new BMX brand that will be part of the spring inventory.

Easy Riders is also creating a triathlon department citing the national growth for those involved in the three-sport discipline of cycling, running and swimming. The new department will feature bicycles along with clothing and accessories aimed at those interested in triathlon competitions.

As part of the interior remodel, the archery department - complete with indoor range - was revamped. Easy Riders has found eternity targets allow for easy arrow removal and a video archery simulator provides computer scores for each shot.

The store includes a showroom for gym and home gym equipment with new brands for 2010. And an expanded rental section offers more bikes, canoes, kayaks, inline skates and winter products, the Shepherds reported.

"There have been many new changes to the bicycle industry in the past few years, such as increasing the quality of our bicycles while being able to lower the prices at the same time," Kenn Shepherd reported. "This has made better bikes available to more people than ever before. People are also looking for more ways to be healthy, environmentally friendly, and better ways to commute, all of which bicycles can provide. This has allowed us to grow our business even during a slow economy."

The Shepherds have owned Easy Riders for 38 years and have been in the current building since 1988. The business employs a manager and staff of five during the winter with seasonal help added in the summer.

Trailblazer Bikes has now moved from Washington Street near the Dairy Queen, to Baxter and is on Edgewood Drive near the Black Bear restaurant.

The 2010 Lakes Area Job Fair is planned from 9 a.m. to noon March 24 at Central Lakes College in Brainerd.

The job fair is hosted by the Brainerd Lakes Chamber and sponsored by BL Broadcasting. Participants may submit resumes and have job interviews on site. Area employers will be looking to hire summer, part-time and full-time employees. Businesses slated to partcipate include area companies such as Ascensus along with resorts, radio stations, restaurants and regional medical centers, among others.

The Bridges Workplace Connection Career Exploration Day is 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at the Brainerd Area Civic Center and Gold Medal Arena on Jackson Street. Invited representatives of area organizations and businesses will be on hand to share their careers with about 2,000 high school students from area school districts.

Lakewood Health System is hosting a community open house for its Browerville clinic at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Browerville city officials, Nor-Son Construction Co. staff and sub-contracted business owners, LHS administration and staff and other Browerville and Long Prairie business owners will be on hand for early tours, Lakewood reported.

RENEE RICHARDSON, senior reporter, may be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.