Dale's Fun Center is a family owned business by the Stubbs family since 1980, We are in the business to sell and service Kawasaki and Honda motorcycles, ATVs, Jet Skis, and UTVs. Our mission statement is to bring passion and joy of riding to our customers. By partnering with them, it guarantees them the best experience possible. This statement has developed through our story.
Kawasaki of Victoria Inc. was established in 1973 by Pat Saunders. In 1974, Pat wanted to develop a race team and hired Dale Stubbs both as a rider and a team manager. It was through this relationship that Pat persuaded Dale to manage the dealership. Dale's first decision was to encourage Pat to order one of each model to give the customer a bigger selection. Dale also persuaded Kawasaki to sign the dealership as one of the first five dealerships in the country to test the Kawasaki Jet Ski. It wasn't until 1976 that Jet Skis were sold at all dealerships.
Dale is truly a motorcycle enthusiast. He loves every venue of riding: street, off road, and water. Because of this love, in November of 1979,while trying to decide which one to buy for himself, he asked his bride, Janet, which he should choose. Jokingly, she told him to buy them all. That is what he did. With $87.00 dollars in their bank account, he went to United Bank and asked for a loan. At that time a your word and a handshake were good enough. On January 31, 1980, Dale and Janet purchased the dealership and added Dale's Kawasaki to the name. Dale owned all the motorcycles he loved.
In 1985, the dealership was moved to 307 E. Rio Grande and two more lines were added, Honda and Seadoo. To better describe the business emphasis the dba changed to Dale's Fun Center. As the dealership grew, Dale realized he could not fulfill the needs of every customer and learned how important employees were to the dealership. He built a knowledgeable staff with the same passion to help him. Many of these employees are still with him today.
During hurricane Claudette, in 2002, the dealership was totally destroyed. Dale and Janet set up shop next door while they built the new dealership on Navarro, Once again, while drawing up the plans, Dale felt the customers' needs should come first. He built a large showroom with a cover porch on the front and over the service area. He also made sure there was plenty of parking spaces available, along with a large drive to assist in loading and unloading their units.
Each day, Dale loves to tell Janet how many customers he helped buy their dream vehicle. After many years she asked him why he did this and he replied "When I was young I wanted a motorcycle and to race. One day my mother took me to the local dealership and we bought the motorcycle. We loaded it into the trunk of her car and all the way home my heart was pounding with excitement. I remember how I felt that day. I want everyone that buys a vehicle to feel the way I felt that day."
Dale's mission has always been to give the customer the joy he felt that day he bought his first motorcycle.