Twisted Iron Customs owners Michael Benner and Shelby Bertrand plan to move the business from Route 1 in Wiscasset to Dodge Road in Edgecomb. (Abigail Adams photo)
The eye-catching designs of Twisted Iron Customs’ refurbished hot rods, motorcycles, and classic cars will soon move to a new location on Dodge Road in Edgecomb, as the owners prepare to expand the business.
A soon-to-be renovated barn at 17 Dodge Road will be the future home of Twisted Iron Customs, now on Route 1 in Wiscasset, and the new location will offer “a lot of new services,” owners Mike Benner and Shelby Bertrand said.
In addition to the muscle cars, motorcycles, and custom chrome and paint jobs the business is known for, Benner and Bertrand plan to open a full-service body shop and expanded retail store in the new location.
The Edgecomb Planning Board approved Benner and Bertrand’s application Thursday, Feb. 2. The couple plans to have Twisted Iron Customs up and running on Dodge Road by early summer, Benner said.
Twisted Iron Customs has been in Wiscasset for the past four years on a property Benner and Bertrand rent. While the location was good for the business, “we needed a place to call our own,” Benner said.
The couple scouted property along the Route 1 corridor and found 17 Dodge Road.
The owners will miss the Route 1 traffic in Wiscasset, because it resulted in a lot of walk-in business, Benner said.
However, Benner and Bertrand are hopeful current customers “will follow us across the bridge” and Twisted Iron Customs will attract new customers at the location, which is just off Route 1 in Edgecomb, they said.
While rebuilding motorcycles, hot rods, and completing custom chrome and paint jobs are a passion for the business, “we’ll work on anything,” Benner said.
The company even recently refurbished a breadbox, Bertrand said.
Previously, Benner operated a body shop in Brunswick for about 20 years. Benner and Bertrand plan to reopen the shop and do collision repair, body work, and service work on cars of all makes and models in Edgecomb.
“I wish we could build motorcycles and hot rods all day, but that’s not reality,” Benner said. “Really we’re here to service our customers.”
Twisted Iron Customs is a licensed used motorcycle and car dealer, and plans to make as much use of the property’s 1,000 feet of frontage on Route 1 as possible, Benner said.
Twisted Iron Customs also plans to do body work and paint jobs on big rigs, according to the company’s Facebook page.
In Wiscasset, Twisted Iron Customs hosts regular charity events, a tradition Benner and Bertrand hope to continue at the Edgecomb location. The events include motorcycle ride-ins, an annual Halloween party, and other community gatherings, but usually end by the early evening, Benner said.
Twisted Iron Customs in Wiscasset is also home to the Twisted Iron Grille, a food trailer that opened for the first time over the summer. Benner said he is not sure if the food truck will operate for a second season at the Edgecomb location.
The planning board did not know if the business would need an entertainment permit in Edgecomb, as it did in Wiscasset, but encouraged Benner and Bertrand to contact the selectmen. The business will also need to obtain a sign permit and a building permit from the code enforcement officer before work on an addition to the barn can begin, planning board members said.
Benner’s and Bertrand’s new 72-acre property in Edgecomb also has a house and a guest house. The couple has not decided whether to move to the house or use it as a rental property.
The barn will be the immediate focus until Twisted Iron Customs is up and running, Benner said. Benner and Bertrand plan to construct two additions to the barn to create a new storefront for the business and increase space to 20,000 square feet.
The expansion of Twisted Iron Customs’ retail store and services in Edgecomb is made possible by the company’s blue-collar work ethic, Benner said. “We’re blue-collar workers. We’ll always be blue-collar workers,” he said.
Twisted Iron Customs will work to make the transition to Edgecomb “as seamless as possible,” Benner said. “We hope people follow us.”
For more information about Twisted Iron Customs, go to twistedironcustoms.com.
