Growing up with snowmobiles, Wayne Davis of Epoufette now has opened Davis Motorsports Parts and Accessories, a store serving owners of snowmobiles, all terrain vehicles (ATVs), and other vehicles. The parts and accessories store, opened in December, will be the second business Mr. Davis owns.

While working for the Michigan Sugar Company for 11 years, Mr. Davis purchased Cut River Cabins in the Upper Peninsula from his neighbors in Ithaca. As he managed the cabins, he developed an itch to run a shop serving the owners of vehicles like snowmobiles. Later on, a different neighbor was ready to sell a nearby building. Mr. Davis snapped up the opportunity, resigned from his job at the sugar company, and moved to Epoufette, where he could manage his new shop. While working at the sugar company was a great job, he said, opening the store offered him a change that he had wanted for awhile.

The store sells parts and accessories for snowmobiles, ATVs, trucks, trailers, and snowblowers. Mr. Davis has a service department for snowmobiles and will repair them after hours, as well. Much of the skill he uses to repair snowmobiles has been gleaned from his father, Gilbert Davis.

During most of the year, Mr. Davis's father worked as a farmer. In the winter months he ran a snowmobile repair shop for additional income. Fixing the machines was a good way to drum up money, and it also gave Mr. Davis the opportunity to learn more about the sleds and how to properly care for them.

"You can always learn something from your father," he said.

Mr. Davis runs the store mostly by himself, with his father traveling from Ithaca on weekends to help. The primary challenge of establishing his new business is ensuring he has the proper merchandise in stock. Making sure customers are happy is also important.

"That's the biggest thing, I think," he said.

Now that his business has been open for several weeks, Mr. Davis is focusing on customer feedback and learning what his customers want to purchase. If he does not have a particular item, he said, he orders it. Getting ideas from his father about what items should be stocked is helpful, as well, he added.

Customers can stay at his cabins and take advantage of the snowmobile trails nearby, and Mr. Davis would like to one day provide snowmobile trail reports for customers.

Davis Motorsports Parts and Accessories is at West 5940 US-2 in Epoufette. After-hours service can be reached at (989) 763-8281.