Summary
On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell sits down with Tom McMullen for a rousing conversation about Rapha’s role in Bentonville’s exceptional bike culture. Tom is the Managing Director for North America at Rapha, the world’s finest cycling clothing brand, which relocated its North American headquarters from Portland, Oregon, to Bentonville, Arkansas, a few years ago. Throughout the episode, Tom and James discuss Tom’s recent move from London to Bentonville, Rapha’s expansion into mountain bike apparel and living life by bike in Bentonville.
Show Notes
(0:53) Introducing Tom McMullen and Rapha
(4:38) Living Life by Bike in Bentonville
(7:18) Rule of Three
(11:50) Tom’s Impression of Bentonville
(17:55) Tom’s #BecauseBentonville Story
(20:00) Tom’s NWA Favorites
(23:34) Rapha’s Future
(25:18) The Importance of Visiting Bentonville
(27:39) Light-Hearted Questions
(29:38) Closing Thoughts
Links
Bentonville Economic Development
Quotes
“Bentonville is a manifestation of living life by bike…I’ve visited Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Berlin, and then after that, [it’s] probably Bentonville in terms of cities that you genuinely live life by bike. And that’s about recreation, but [it’s] also about transport, leisure with family and friends, and being able to get around. It’s a blueprint in my eyes for mobility and society going forward—that the bike becomes a key component for getting around, for having fun and living everyday life.” – Tom McMullen, (4:52)
“Someone moved from Los Angeles and said that there’s more going on from an investment point of view in Bentonville than there is in other cities around the world. So I think it’s been a pleasant surprise [to] me that it’s not just a sleepy town. In Northwest Arkansas, there’s loads going on, and it’s very diverse, which has been amazing.” – Tom McMullen, (12:33)
Rapha’s North American Headquarters
After moving its North American headquarters from the Pacific Northwest to Northwest Arkansas, Rapha quickly embedded itself in Bentonville’s unique mountain biking and cycling culture. The brand focuses heavily on building community and culture around riding and inspiring the world to live by bike. It should come as no surprise that Bentonville has proven to be a welcome home to the brand’s North American headquarters.
“Bentonville is a manifestation of living life by bike…I’ve visited Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Berlin, and then after that, [it’s] probably Bentonville in terms of cities that you genuinely live life by bike. And that’s about recreation, but [it’s] also about transport, leisure with family and friends, and being able to get around. It’s a blueprint in my eyes for mobility and society going forward—that the bike becomes a key component for getting around, for having fun and living everyday life.” – Tom McMullen, (4:52)
Bentonville is also home to a Rapha Clubhouse, the brand’s retail location that serves as a social hub for the local cycling community. Rapha has twenty-one other clubhouses located across North America, Europe and Asia in cities such as Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, London, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Hong Kong, Seoul, Sydney and Tokyo.
Tom’s Personal Relocation
Tom and his family moved from London to Bentonville last October, and while the change in scenery is stark, they’ve found community and a home away from home on this side of the pond. When asked for a story that summarizes his experience in Bentonville so far, Tom recalls last Thanksgiving, when he and his partner, being British and unfamiliar with their new home, planned to stay home and watch Netflix over the holiday. He was surprised when Jared, an acquaintance he met through work, invited Tom and his wife over to spend Thanksgiving with Jared’s family and friends. Now, Tom calls Jared a close friend and enjoys the neighborly nature of Bentonville.
Tom was also impressed to find that Bentonville wasn’t a sleepy little town in a flyover state. Instead, he discovered a city propelling the future of a diverse set of industries, including cycling, advanced mobility, life sciences, retail, supply chain, business technologies, outdoor recreation and more.
“Someone moved from Los Angeles and said that there’s more going on from an investment point of view in Bentonville than there is in other cities around the world. So I think it’s been a pleasant surprise [to] me that it’s not just a sleepy town. In Northwest Arkansas, there’s loads going on, and it’s very diverse, which has been amazing.” – Tom McMullen, (12:33)
Get Connected!
Thank you for tuning into this episode of The Bentonville Beacon! Join us weekly for more stories and advice from the entrepreneurs, business executives and community leaders who are sparking the rise of the Greater Bentonville area. If you are interested in discussing whether your business should have a presence in Greater Bentonville or would like to discuss this podcast, please contact James Bell. You may reach James at jbell@greaterbentonville.com or (479) 273-2841.
