The once great manufacturing of Bicycle’s made in the United States has ended many years ago, due to the United States Government by allowing the imports from China.
I have been to Murry Facility in Lawernceburg, Tennessee and I work in Brentwood, Tennessee within walking distance of the old Murray Corporate Headquarters.
The Murry Lawrenceburg facility began operations in 1956, and over the next several decades, the complex grew to become one of the largest facilities of its type in the United States: 42.7 acres (173,000 m2) under roof. It later became a UAW plant producing both bicycles and lawn and garden equipment.
The facility was best know for the manufacturing of low cost bicycles.
Most Murray bicycles were for the youth market, often featuring one-piece steel Ashtabula cranksets and electrically-welded frames using inexpensive seamed or straight-gauge steel tubing. These low-cost parts and materials undercut the prices of Murray’s competition, selling millions of bicycles (often with retailer names) to department stores, hardware stores, and general retailers. Schrekengost styled more than 100 mostly youth bicycles for Sears, Western Auto, Firestone Tire, and other retailers, including the Spaceline, Western Flyer, and Firestone. By modifying chain guards, luggage carriers, lighting, handlebars, and truss rods, Schrekengost gave each bicycle a distinctive look while retaining the same welded tube frame design.
Youth bicycle production received a boost with the 1965 introduction of Murray’s version of the small-tired, banana-seat, wheelie bike pioneered by Schwinn, the Murray Wildcat. The Wildcat was also styled by Schreckengost, who gave it his own interpretation of a chopper motorcycle, with high-rise handlebars, a tall sissy bar, and a flared rear fender. A series of models followed, including the Eliminator, Firecat and Hotshot. In 1977, again following a youth trend, Murray introduced its BMX model.
During the 1980s, in an attempt to overcome declining sales, Murray began selling its bicycle line in lower-cost mass market stores and discount chains such as Target, K-Mart, and Wal-Mart. While the practice enabled the company to increase sales of overall units, profits failed to meet expectations as a result of reduced margins imposed by mass retailers. Additionally, many independent bicycle dealers (IBDs) resented the new competition, and in retaliation some dealers refused to stock or promote Murray bicycles.
In June 1988, the Murray Ohio Manufacturing Company was acquired by the British investment group Tomkins plc. In 1996, Murray Inc., the last major U.S. bicycle producers with Huffy Bicycle and Roadmaster (formerly AMF), received a major blow when U.S. courts ruled that imports from China were not a ‘material threat’ to U.S. companies.[4] Within three years, Huffy, Roadmaster and Murray ceased manufacture of bicycles in the United States.
In 1998, Murray moved bicycle production from Lawrenceburg to a non-union factory in Mississippi. Production of all U.S.-made bicycles halted in 1999. In 2000, the Murray brand was acquired by Pacific Cycle, a U.S. distributor of bicycles produced in Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China. Murray has since been used as a brand for imported Chinese bicycles sold by Pacific Cycle. Pacific Cycle was later acquired by Dorel Industries.
I am not sure if today the sales of bicycles could support a large facility like the Murry Laweranceburg Factory but it is sad to see the manufacturing of bicycles go to China.
I spent a couple of years in Chicago, Illinois and loved to walk a couple miles to spend time at the Schwinn shop and dream about my parent buying me one of the cool bikes they sold.
In closing one thing I do want to say there is nothing more troubling than to see the Great United States of America manufacturing facilities going to waste.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murray_%28bicycles%29
