As Huffy exited the 1990s, it continued to pursue the strategy of paring away assets, acquiring new properties, and entering new business areas. In 1998, the company’s Washington Inventory Service subsidiary acquired Denver, Colorado-based Inventory Auditors, Inc., with 42 offices operating in 23 states. The acquisition greatly strengthened Washington Inventory Service’s position in its industry, since Inventory Auditors ranked third in the industry. For 1999, the company had further significant changes in store, none more dramatic than the announcement that it was selling True Temper Hardware Co.
Bikes and bike accessories accounted for an overwhelming 90 percent. The Outdoor Power Equipment division, which had been struggling for years in the lawnmower market, was finally sold in 1975. Realizing the need to diversify, Huffman acquired Frabill Manufacturing, a maker of fishing and basketball equipment, in 1977.
The Huffy cruiser saddle seat offers the comfort of springs and thick, foam padding to make you feel like you are sitting on a cloud. The sturdy fenders offer a timeless look while keeping you clean from dirt and debris. The soft hand grips keep your wrists from tensing up while the kickstand and coaster brakes are a breeze to use. While Huffy has been one of the big bike boys on the block for some time now, they are fairly new to the cruising community. Known mostly for city and mountain bikes, Huffy’s cruisers do not compromise comfort in any way.
Until recently, mongoose bmx bike had been an exception to the outsourcing trend. The company hung on until 1994, when it cut its workforce by more than half in a struggle to keep costs down. Then last year it closed its main factory in Ohio, putting 1,000 people out of work. Brunswick Corp., of Lake Forest, last year shifted some production of its Roadmaster brand bicycles from its Olney, Ill., plant to Mexico.
Buoyed by the completion of its diversification campaign, schwinn bicycles entered the 1990s with renewed confidence. As the decade began, the company was collecting nearly half its earnings and sales from its disparate, non-bike businesses, which were beginning to develop their own momentum. Huffy Service First, for instance, had begun to expand its services by assembling gas grills, lawnmowers, and patio furniture for mass retailers in addition to bikes.