Hayes Bicycle Group Acquires Wheelsmith Fabricatio...
Mequon, Wis. – September 28, 2006– Just over a year after its acquisition of Sun Metal Products, Hayes Bicycle Group (manufacturers of the Hayes Disc Brake and Sun Ringle’ brands) has acquired Wheelsmith Fabrications, Inc. of Big Timber, Montana. For more than 25 years, Wheelsmith Fabrications has offered high quality bicycle spokes, wheel building services and other wheel related products, being the only US owned and operated bicycle spoke manufacturer. An agreement was reached near the end of September. Details of the private sale were not disclosed.
“We are proud to make Wheelsmith the second acquisition of Hayes Bicycle Group,” said Joel Richardson, Hayes Bicycle Group Marketing Manager. “It’s a good example of how we are continuing to grow by bringing in complementary businesses. Wheelsmith allows us to complete our wheel package offering to our customers and increase our potential for innovative new products. The Wheelsmith brand is a great addition to our broadening product lineup.”
Wheelsmith was started in 1975 as a small retail shop operating out of a garage in downtown Palo Alto, California. Although the local cyclists came to rely on Wheelsmith for expert advice and wheel repairs, it was their emphasis on building the highest quality custom wheels that quickly earned the shop a nationwide reputation for its dedication to the search for perfection. In 1980, in order to focus on producing high quality, lightweight wheels, a new company, Wheelsmith Fabrications, Inc was founded. Starting with robot assisted wheel building in a warehouse in Menlo, Park California, Wheelsmith Fabrications expanded with its comprehensive line of Wheelsmith spokes and a growing range of other wheel-related products. In 1995, Wheelsmith Fabrications relocated to Big Timber, Montana and in September 2005, marked its 25th anniversary in the bicycle industry.
Hayes Bicycle Group (manufacturers of the Hayes Disc Brake and Sun Ringle’ brands) is a division of HB Performance Systems Inc., a worldwide leader in the design, testing, manufacture and sales of non-automotive custom engineered vehicle systems.
HB Performance Systems was started in Milwaukee in 1946. Since 1969, the corporate headquarters has been located in Mequon, Wis., where it employs 350 people in its 155,000 square foot modern manufacturing facility. In 2006, Hayes Bicycle Group moved the Sun Metals operations from Warsaw, Indiana to an 80,000 square foot facility in Milwaukee, just 5 miles away from the corporate headquarters. It also has manufacturing and sourcing capabilities in Asia. HB Performance Systems uses a unique lean enterprise system for manufacturing and assembly, and is supported by ISO 9001:2000 quality controls and the latest Advance Product Quality Planning (APQP) techniques. The company’s many years of experience and development in the field have led to a comprehensive range of products for recreational, construction, agricultural and military vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, as well as other types of mobile and stationary equipment.
For more information about the new El Camino Trail hydraulic brake or other Hayes Disc Brake products, call 888-686-3472 or visit www.hayesdiscbrake.com.