There’s a good chance that if you own a bike, you purchased it at Wheel & Sprocket. Thank you to Noel Kegel, President & Owner for opening up the amazing space of the Wheel & Sprockets Headquarters. The site, located at 187 E Becher St. in Bay View has been under development for roughly three years and features “Joyride Café”, a coffee shop and beer stop, event space, and three non-profits including the Chris Kegel Foundation, the Wisconsin Bike Federation, and the Rails to Trails Conservancy.
The pronounced death of brick-and-mortar has been misleading–it is merely evolving. The company recently opened the new headquarters, and first in Milwaukee – Bay View – in a building that was converted from a 100-year-old lumber equipment manufacturer. We heard from Noel Kegel, about this project and the other 10 locations across Wisconsin and Illinois as the company strives to integrate retail, redevelopment, experiences, innovation, and community. He discussed the challenges and opportunities leading a legacy business in the modern era and the dynamics of working in a family business.