Leaving nothing to chance, in May 1998 the company announced a major restructuring program designed to help the company better compete against Asian bicycle manufacturers. The restructuring plan was designed to eliminate excess manufacturing capacity and trim operating costs. One unfortunate consequence of its restructuring plan, Huffy said, was the need to close the company’s 40-year-old bicycle factory in Celina, Ohio, in order to reduce production capacity.
mongoose bicycles sponsorship would include the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games, and it also took over the 7-Eleven team sponsorship, which was previously underwritten by Murray. Huffy did try its hand at high-end bicycle research and development, bringing in respected frame builder and carbon-fiber pioneer Mike Melton. But when it came to bicycles the company never got past its big-box-store reputation.
Huffy Corp. also makes lawn equipment and basketball backboards. It was founded in 1924 as Huffman Manufacturing Co. to make equipment for service stations. About 100 employees in the bicycle division will remain at Huffy headquarters in the Dayton suburb of Miamisburg to work on design, marketing and distribution.
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 outbreak of World War II necessitated a shift in production. The company joined the thousands of other businesses that were vying for government contracts, and was able to secure an order for primers, an artillery shell part. The increased business brought Huffman’s sales to nearly $2.8 million in 1942. The following year, the federal government placed an order for 4,000 bicycles. At this point, much of the work was being done by women who were filling the void left by the vast numbers of men who had been inducted into the armed forces.
You can ride it come rain or shine thanks to fenders, whereas a kickstand and chainguard make it more practical for everyday city rides. This Huffy women’s bike has decent user ratings (4.1/5) and comes jam-packed with features and accessories. What makes it a rider-favorite are color-matching fenders, a kickstand, chainguard, dual-spring saddle, rear rack, basket, and a bottle holder. The Panama Jack cruiser is available with a single-speed drivetrain and a coaster brake or a 6-speed drivetrain and V-brakes.
For two years, the company was able to run two shifts a day without experiencing the traditional slowdown during the winter months. 1975– A financial recession meant that Huffy bike sales dropped by 50%. The corporation was forced to close its Celina plant for two months and lay off 25 percent of its workers. “The severe retail price decline and margin erosion confronting the bicycle company have negatively impacted our results,” the company said in announcing the decision. “The changes in the bicycle operation will significantly enhance its ability to compete in the fiercely competitive bicycle market.”
Hampsten’s “Huffy” was actually made by John Slawta, the frame builder behind Land Shark bicycles. As an amateur racer, Hampsten had ridden Land Shark frames when Slawta was one of his team’s sponsors. While the other riders on 7-Eleven-Hoonved’s Giro team had their frames made by Ben Serotta, Hampsten, who was already one of the world’s best stage racers, wanted something he was familiar with.
By meeting the problem head-on, Huffman was able to help suppliers increase their own output and to raise its production levels. Huffy was under pressure from Walmart in particular, who at one point ordered 900,000 bikes, but insisted that Huffy decrease its prices significantly. Reluctantly, Huffy agreed in order to remain a major player in the market.
Would you love to ride a bike but you have nowhere to store it? Also, are you looking for a solution to your first-mile and last-mile commute problem? huffy beach cruiser This affordable e-bike also features a 7-speed drivetrain and dual disc brakes, so you can climb and descend with more control and ease.
The company will close its two U.S. bicycle plants–in Farmington, Mo., and Southhaven, Miss.–by the end of the year, eliminating about 600 jobs. Buzz Bicycles gives back to small businesses across the country by giving away 20 e-bikes in an effort to help bolster local delivery efforts. Companies relocating to the Newmark Office Park area have included Acclimate Technologies Inc., which tripled its size after from downtown Dayton. Late last year, Verso Corp. announced the Memphis-based company was moving its headquarters to that area as well in a move local officials would stabilize more than 200 jobs.