The shift of jobs among mass-market bike companies began more than a decade ago. Excel Group Inc. was a leader in the shift, moving production to Brazil, Taiwan and China. Cheap labor allowed companies in Asia to clobber U.S. companies mongoose bmx bike on price and capture about 45 percent of the market here, according to statistics compiled by the Bicycle Manufacturers Association in 1996. About 90 percent of those imports are from China and Taiwan, the trade group said.
Battery charger adapter for battery chargers with XLR plug for the City Bug® electric scooter. ‘s roots began in 1892 when George Huffman, owner of the Davis Sewing Machine Co., oversaw production of the company’s first bicycle. Horace Huffman sold the company in 1925 and formed the Huffman Manufacturing Co., which eventually became Huffy Corp. The company’s stock plummeted from $6.80 a share in December 2003 to 58 cents in August, when the New York Stock Exchange suspended trading because the company’s market value had fallen too low. The company did well in the 1980’s and grew substantially, however, they had trouble breaking out of the entry-level price market with their bicycles. In the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, athletes rode on Huffy bicycles.
The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company was a primary bike customer, but in 1938 Huffman lost a major portion of the account because it could not match Firestone’s demand. Huffy grew out of the Huffman Manufacturing Company, which was founded in 1924. Founder Horace M. Huffman, Sr., learned the manufacturing business from his father, George P. Huffman, who owned the Davis Sewing Machine Company from 1887 to 1925. Taking advantage of the growing automotive industry, Horace Huffman’s young company made equipment that could be used in service stations.
The subsequent fallout in the cycling community was devastating to , but not surprising considering the nature of the athletes involved. Huffy spent $500,000 to be named the Official Bicycle of the 1996 World Cycling Championships, held in Colorado Springs, the first time the World Championships has been held in the United States. In 1949, Huffman developed the Huffy Convertible, which was a children’s bicycle with rear training wheels and foot steps.
The company introduced a cross-trainer bike in 1992 that represented a hybrid of a road bike and mountain bike, but following an expensive promotion campaign, sales of the crosstrainer were lackluster. The problems with True Temper and the ill-conceived introduction of a crosstrainer paled in comparison to Huffy’s overriding problem during the 1990s, however, and that was contending with Asian competitors. Benefiting from lower production costs than their U.S. counterparts, Asian manufacturers enjoyed significant success in the U.S. market during the 1990s, causing considerable havoc for domestic bike producers. Huffy, holding a 30 percent share of the $1.5 billion U.S. market, bore the brunt of the damage stemming from the incursion of Asian producers and saw its profitability sag. The worst period for Huffy arrived in 1995, when the company recorded a crippling $10.5 million loss. For the remainder of the decade, Huffy management devoted itself to curing the ills that led to the devastating loss and implementing measures to ensure that it never happened again.
In 1968, in an effort to market a children’s bicycle with an automotive theme, Huffman designers added a car-type steering wheel in place of handlebars to the Rail frame, which became the Huffy Wheel. In mid-1968, Huffman released the Flaming Stack chain guard, which was designed to look like the distinctive side exhaust pipe covers on the Corvette sports car. Later that same year, Huffman released a new Slingshot model with 16″ front dragster wheel, and 20″ rear. The new 1969 models where the last year for the three-bar Rail frame style. In 1970 Huffman deleted their three-bar frame and went to a two-bar Rail frame, eventually adding additional two-tone fade paint jobs along with Persons striped seats.
The second development occurred as a result of the company’s search for a product that could be manufactured during the winter months. The decision to produce lawnmowers was announced in December 1949. Huffy Corporation will be a leading supplier of name brand consumer products and retail services designed to improve consumer lifestyles and enhance the business performance of its retail customers.
Like we said, you’ll be getting more than a few second glances when you take this thing out for a ride. The Classic’s stopping power is provided via reverse pedal coaster brake system. This easy to use coaster helps to simplify the bike’s components, and also cut down on the maintenance level.