Richard Wright, son of Bill Wright and grandson of the late Herman Wright, with his Yamaha outboard motors that are part of his Wright Motors Marine business on Sacramento Street. His grandfather founded what was then called Wright Garage in 1921. Since then, three generations have worked at the family business. (Ross Farrow/News-Sentinel)

The Wright stuff

Former Wright Motors splitting off into three businesses in Lodi

It was once an ice cream parlor, but in 1921, it became the place where Herman Wright assembled parts on Model T Fords, before the cars were shipped for sale.

Herman Wright opened what was then known as Wright Garage in 1921 at 214 N. Sacramento Street, just south of Lockeford Street. It was a business that lasted more than 80 years and was run by three generations of the same family. Wright, his son Bill and grandson Richard attended Lodi High and held no other jobs.

Later known as Wright Motors, the business was sold in 2004 after Bill Wright retired. It's been divided up into three businesses, and this week, each will relocate to separate locations. Richard Wright will continue to own one of the businesses, two doors down in the building that served as Wright Motors' warehouse, where he will expand his marine boat business. He sells Yamaha motors, and has renamed the business Wright Motors Marine.

Lodi Motor Sports, a motorcycle dealership, is another business that branched off from Wright Motors. It moved this week to Turner Road and Cluff Avenue. A third business, Acme Saw and Industrial Supply, owned by John and Mary Doucette, is staying put in the old Wright Motors sales and service building.

But it was the Wright family who made their mark in Lodi.

Herman Wright, who died in 1972, moved to Lodi with his family from Pennsylvania in 1904, when he was 3 years old. He was a champion outboard motorboat racer in addition to assembling distributors, frames, transmissions, wheels and other parts onto Model Ts before sending the finished product to local distributors, according to his son, Bill Wright. He also became an outboard motor dealer in 1929.

John and Mary Doucette pose on a lawnmower at their shop, Acme Saw and Industrial Supply, in the old Wright Motors building on Sacramento Street. (Ross Farrow/News-Sentinel)

Bill Wright, now 78, saw his father's operation for the first time when he was 3. His mother Elsie did the bookkeeping and kept Bill in his bassinet on top of the counter. Later in his childhood, he helped by sweeping floors.

After his discharge from the U.S. Navy in 1949, Bill Wright joined his father for good, but he said he didn't want to be involved in auto repair. The business was then renamed Wright Motors, with the shop focusing on boats, outdoor power equipment, engines, and lawn and garden equipment. They added motor scooters and Yamaha motorcycles in 1964.

Herman's wife, Elsie, who died in 1996, did the family bookkeeping until Bill Wright was married in 1955. Bill's bride, Lillian, became the bookkeeper until they retired together in 2004.

When Bill and Lillian Wright retired, they sold Wright Motors to Dennis and Julie Pujols, from the Folsom-El Dorado Hills area, They had the business for 16 to 17 months before selling it off.

Somehow, during the transition of ownership, Bill Wright lost several pictures of his dad with the Model Ts he assembled. What happened to them remains a mystery.

Acme Saw, now occupying the original Wright Garage building, opened on Feb. 1. It also has locations in Stockton, Sacramento, Folsom and Grass Valley. Nevertheless, owners John and Mary Doucette have strong Lodi ties.

John Doucette is also a Lodi High graduate and coached the St. Anne's School basketball teams for several years. Their son, John Paul "JP" Doucette, is an assistant water polo coach at Lodi High.

Mary Doucette, who now works at Acme, worked at Farmers and Merchants Bank in the 1970s, but some of her Acme customers today still thinks she works at the bank.

Acme has lawn and garden equipment, which constitutes about 35 percent of its business, John Doucette said. The focus is on equipment for farmers and those with large acreage — large enough to require a tractor to mow the lawn.

Acme also sells and services cutting tools for printing, grapevine pruning, food processing and the plastic pipe industry. With their added space, now that Richard Wright and Lodi Motor Sports are moving out, John Doucette said he plans to add equipment with a larger parts department in the basement.

John Doucette has to compete with big-box discount and hardware stores in Lodi, but he says he can compete successfully by being a full-service dealer and selling better quality machinery.

"They're assembled with gas and oil, ready to go," he said.

The motorcycle business, at Turner Road and Cluff Avenue, is owned by Dave Harrell, who owns DH Cycles in Modesto. He bought it from Pujols family in early August. Harrell is in the process of getting the Yamaha and Suzuki motorcycle franchise paperwork in place. He hopes to open on Friday.

Contact reporter Ross Farrow at rossf@lodinews.com.