schwinn stopped making bikes in usa in 2004.
schwinn stopped making bikes in usa in 2004.
when did schwinn stop making bikes in usa?
2004
in september 2001, the schwinn company, its assets, and the rights to the brand, together with that of the gt bicycle, was purchased at a bankruptcy auction by pacific cycle, a company previously known for mass-market brands owned by wind point partners. in 2004, pacific cycle was in turn acquired by dorel industries. once america's preeminent bicycle manufacturer, the schwinn brand was now affixed to bicycles fabricated entirely in china, fueling most of its corporate parent's growth. in 2010, dorel launched a major advertising campaign to revive and contemporize the schwinn brand by associating it with consumer childhood memories of the iconic company, including a wildly popular reintroduction of the schwinn "sting-ray".
schwinn bicycle company
after a series of production cuts and labor force reductions, schwinn was able to restructure its operations. the company renegotiated loans by putting up the company and the name as collateral, and increased production of the "airdyne" exercise bicycle, a moneymaker even in bad times. the company took advantage of the continued demand for mountain bikes, redesigning its product line with schwinn-designed chrome-molybdenum alloy steel frames. supplied by manufacturers in asia, the new arrangement enabled schwinn to reduce costs and stay competitive with asian bicycle companies. in taiwan, schwinn was able to conclude a new production agreement with giant bicycles, transferring schwinn's frame design and manufacturing expertise to giant in the process. with this partnership, schwinn increased their bicycle sales to 500,000 per year by 1985. schwinn annual sales soon neared the million mark, and the company turned a profit in the late 1980s. however, after unsuccessfully attempting to purchase a minority share in giant bicycles, edward schwinn jr. negotiated a separate deal with the china bicycle co. (cbc) to produce bicycles to be sold under the schwinn brand. in retaliation, giant introduced its own line of giant-branded bikes for sale to retailers carrying schwinn bikes. both giant and cbc used the dies, plans, and technological expertise from schwinn to greatly expand the market share of bicycles made under their own proprietary brands, first in europe, and later in the united states.
schwinn bicycle company