We try our best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you. I am a bike aficionado who researched for you important information about the brand to help you know if Kent bikes are good bikes. Long-term, in addition to training more workers, the CEO wants to improve process efficiency. “Long-term we feel that if we do this right, we will need fewer man-hours to build a bike,” Kamler explains. “Right now, we know the process is too manual, so we’ll be looking to improve the automation level of our factory. With new machines and trained workers in place, Kamler believes that Kent’s expansion plans are not only realistic, but they fit the workplace shift he is seeing now in the U.S., in great contrast to what is happening in China. In fact, Kent’s bike factory in China has experienced the same workforce and wage shifts chronicled in the book Factory Girl.
But if I weren’t nervous about what we’re doing, there would be no point in doing it.” Ironically, twenty years ago, at the height of the outsourcing craze, Kent’s current building was occupied by MTD, an Ohio-based kent bicycles riding-lawn-mower operation that consolidated back to Ohio, shuttering the Manning plant and losing 800 workers. MTD also owned the Columbia Bicycle Company of Westfield, Mass., shuttered about 30 years ago.
“The combination of union plants [with] a small plant start-up in Mississippi didn’t work out for Huffy; they went right to China—too much too fast,” Kamler says. “But our company has been in this for a long time, while Huffy went bankrupt.” But a major difference between Kent’s and Honda’s U.S. starting points is volume. Kamler knows that any production he does will come in from the start at high-volumes because that is his market. However, as you progress and take on more difficult challenges, it would be a wiser choice to invest in some professional grade bike that can keep up with your progress. With kent bikess and accessories available on nearly every Walmart store, it’s really easy and convenient to repair and upgrade your bike whenever you need.
“They connected with Governor Haley, and a few hours later she called me.” Even though his preferred location had none, the Governor guaranteed that Kent’s energy needs, as well as other physical and training requirements, would be filled. My friend Arnold Kamler, Chairman and CEO of Kent International,Inc., a high-volume, mass-market bike supplier to Walmart, Toy’s R Us, Target and other retailers, sees what lies ahead. Kamler is a third-generation bike man (his son Scott is generation four) whose grandfather Avram emigrated from Poland 100 years ago, landing on New York City’s the Lower East Side not far from the Manhattan Bridge. Tell you what, each tour was over a thousand miles long and it wouldn’t have been possible if I hadn’t studied bike mechanics.
Kent bikes are a good choice for riders who are looking for a basic, reliable, and affordable bike for casual use. Although the brand has tried to build bikes according to market demand, so far, I couldn’t find any model as super and great as suitable for my professional mountain biking or road racing. Their mountain bikes are sturdy and robust, perfect for beginners and hobby riders, and give affordable models to all people.
As for the Kent bicycle prices, the brand offers a wide range but on average a bike costs about 200$. (We do not take into account kids’ bikes which would distort the average price). Overall, if you are a beginner/intermediate level rider looking for an affordable and fun way to get into BMX riding, Kent BMX bikes may be a good choice for you.
“But Dad had always wanted to manufacture bikes,” Kamler recalls. “I protested, ‘I don’t know anything about manufacturing bicycles!‘ so he arranged for me to visit three bicycle assembly factories in Japan.” Kamler, a student of the Chinese economy and factory life, has insights into the quick-and-easy way to open a new factory. “In the beginning, when a new factory opened in China, [its] management would go to another existing bicycle kent bicycles plant, overpay and steal 100 workers from the other factory,” he says. “That made for ease of entry.” he said. “But at this start-up, we don’t have that luxury—even aside from the morality of it—because there has been no mass production of bikes in the U.S. since Huffy shuttered its Ohio and California factories.” “We do business with most of the majors, but Walmart sells half the bikes sold in this country, Kamler explains.
In 2010, as Chairman and CEO, Kamler was joined by his younger son Scott, whom he persuaded to sign on as Kent’s fourth generation. The younger Kamler is now president, second in line at an up-and-running factory with big expansion plans. When the Manning, S.C., plant opened October 15, 2014, with 48 workers, including management, the executive team foresaw 175 to 200 workers and more machinery by 2017. So, Kamler promised to go look, but he also planned to check out other sites. One of his friends, a Senior VP at Deloitte, put Kamler in touch with people who ran a division that helped businesses review possible sites and negotiate the best deals.