"Improve operating and supply chain efficiencies
We intend to improve operating margins in the medium term by enhancing our design and production processes to increase efficiencies, reducing new product time to market and lowering production costs. Specifically, we have begun the process of moving a majority of the manufacturing of our mountain bike products to Taiwan and intend to complete this process in 2015. We believe this transition to Taiwan, once completed, will shorten production lead times to our mountain bike OEM customers, improve supply chain efficiencies and reduce manufacturing costs."
As many of you know I recommend Fox forks to those customers looking for suspension. It will be hard for me to continue doing that in 2015, so in the meantime I'm planning to do some test rides on White Brothers forks - which I have not ridden in many years.
What a shame. Fox was profitable (at least according to the filing) to the tune of $14 million last year. Selling stock and moving overseas would make sense if it were impossible to compete while manufacturing in the US, but that's obviously not the case.
Anyway, rant over. Sad announcement. I wish all the folks at Fox the best as they (presumably) prepare to get laid off.
8 comments:
I got to ride a 650b steel hardtail with a White Brothers Loop on it at Outerbike last fall. It wasn't the lightest fork out there, but it was buttery smooth and easily on par ride-wise with the Fox RL 120 on my old 26" bike.
Shame. Better get your USA-made Fox forks now.
Fox, this is a bitch move on your part! If the PRICES do not drop CONSIDERABLY after this BS transition you can rest assured that I will do my damnedest to not purchase your products in the future!
A sad commentary on the state of american manufacturing. I wish all the fox employees who made a superior product and obviously had pride in their workmanship the best. Screw Fox. In the foreseeable It looks like the only worthwhile things made in this country will be bicycle frames made by individual craftsman and microbrews.
They were already made in Taiwan. Assembled in the USA. The kashima are made in Taiwan, shipped to Japan for coating, to the USA for assembly, back to Taiwan for OEM distribution, then back to the USA to dealers. This takes it a lot of waste and is identical product. Seems like a green move, sucks for the workers though.
All the OE Fox forks I've seen recently have had 'Made in Taiwan' stamped on them anyway (UK here), aftermarket ones say 'Assembled in United states' instead of made. Fox quality has been sub par for a few years now too, I doubt this will change much.
.
I think you will be pleased with White Bros forks, the only annoyance anyone ever tells me is that the magnet in the compression damper rattles. They're not US made but loads of people rave at me about X Fusion too, particularly the quality of the internals.
JH
Hi Walt,
This sucks. Okay, so I've got a Fox fork, but how 'bout a CC DBair shock? They are made in the States. What is the price difference between those and FOX?
Peter C.
The DB shocks won't fit on any of my frames because of the external reservoir contacting the downtube, unfortunately.
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