To some economists and labor experts, the scenario of manufacturers chasing cheap labor is disturbing. Huffy’s plant in Farmington, Mo., employs 440 people, and 160 work at the plant in Southaven, Miss. It planned to continue making bicycles with partners around the world. S search for a product that could be manufactured during the winter months. The decision to produce lawnmowers was announced in December of 1949. In 1964 Huffman expanded its Outdoor Power Equipment division with the acquisition of Diele & McGuire Manufacturing.
During the 1930s, Huffman participated in the revival of the American cycling industry, during which Horace Huffman commented on a “change of attitude”. Although Huffman dabbled in the high-end of the market, they never overcame their entry-level reputation. If this bike is not a fit, your body measurements will be saved in our system, so you can browse to other product pages and they will automatically tell you if they fit. We developed our own proprietary algorithm that will factor in your height and weight to each fitting answer. Our algorithm is concerned with making sure you are fitted to a bike that will provide you maximum comfort.
Brunswick Corp., of Lake Forest, last year shifted some production of its Roadmaster brand bicycles from its Olney, Ill., plant to Mexico. Earlier, Brunswick had shuttered its 350-employee Roadmaster plant in Delavan, Wis. Leibowitz said Huffy’s move is a strong indication that the less expensive bicycles are being made overseas, leaving U.S. production to focus on more expensive bikes. The Southaven plant makes frames, wheels and other parts that are shipped to Farmington, where the bicycles are assembled.
In 1990, acquired Black & Decker’s stake in True Temper Hardware and capital stock in True Temper Ltd. in Ireland for $55 million. A manufacturer of garden and lawn tools, the company claimed approximately 30 percent of the market. Huffy said the restructuring reflected some very basic changes in U.S. consumers’ buying patterns. It pointed out that in 1997 nearly 60 percent of the bikes sold in the United States were produced by foreign manufacturers. The company said bicycles produced in Asia typically cost 10 to 20 percent less than comparable U.S.-produced models. This leaves companies like Huffy with no alternative but to adopt a competitive mix of domestic and non-domestic products.
In an effort to gain market share, mongoose bicycles management reduced prices for True Temper lawn and garden equipment, which resulted in a $5 million loss for the division in 1992. Huffy experienced other difficulties during the early 1990s as well, misfiring in its attempt to take advantage of the popularity of mountain bikes. 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.
Other acquisitions designed to diversify Huffy’s product line followed. In 1982 the company bought YLC Enterprises, a company specializing in product assembly, and Gerico, the producer of Gerry and Snugli baby products. Six years later, Huffy purchased Washington Inventory Service. In 1990, the company bought True Temper, a manufacturer of lawn and garden tools.
Horace continued to guide the company through World War II and the post-war recession by implementing modern management and manufacturing policies. If you owned a Huffy, Do you know how much is a huffy bike worth?? Most collectors today are on the hunt for Huffy bikes, introduced from the 1960s to the 1980s. You should look for vintage Huffy bicycles with an antique stamp with large block letters for their true value. Huffy bikes released in the 1990s can cost as little as $300 or less. Other classic Huffy bikes, like the Huffy radio bike from 1955, can come with an incredible price tag.