Stallings, on behalf of True Fitness, filed proofs of claim with the Court, seeking to recover this amount. Stallings testified that he first called Lamar to inquire about Schwinn’s financial condition only several weeks before the Petition Date. During this conversation, Lamar confided in Stallings that Schwinn’s finances were “getting very tight.” Stallings expressed concern and stated he needed to know what was happening with Schwinn so he could protect True Fitness. As no time, however, did Stallings ever indicate to Lamar any forms of protection which True Fitness was considering. 8, p. 32 (line 16)p.
By 1992, when the Schwinn Bicycle Company went into bankruptcy, the manufacturing of its bicycles had moved almost entirely overseas, primarily to Asia. That’s still the case for Schwinn-branded bikes sold in the United States. 11 U.S.C. § 547(c)(2) and (g); Matter of Midway Airlines, 69 F.3d 792, 797 (7th Cir. 1995). The three subsections of § 547(c)(2) are distinct and each must be proven. Milwaukee Cheese Wisconsin, Inc. v. Straus (Matter of Milwaukee Cheese Wisconsin, Inc.), 191 B.R. 397, 400 (Bankr.E.D.Wis. 1995).
Waterford Precision would continue to hand build a couple of thousand custom, steel frame bikes a year under the Waterford and Gunnar brands, as well as for other small bike companies. Sometime in the 1970’s, the Schwinn Chicago factory was organized by the United Auto Workers union, who felt that bicycle factory workers should be paid on the same scale as automotive workers. schwinn beach cruiser Unfortunately, the realities of the marketplace didn’t agree, and Schwinn closed the factory, transferring most production to Japan (Panasonic) and Taiwan (Giant). Schwinn also built a factory in Greenville, Mississippi, but it didn’t last, and even bought a factory in Hungary, but the deal fell through, and Schwinn never imported any Hungarian bikes to the U.S.
Developed from experiences gained in racing, Schwinn established Paramount as their answer to high-end, professional competition bicycles. The Paramount used high-strength chrome-molybdenum steel alloy tubing and expensive brass lug-brazed schwinn beach cruiser construction. During the next twenty years, most of the Paramount bikes would be built in limited numbers at a small frame shop headed by Wastyn, in spite of Schwinn’s continued efforts to bring all frame production into the factory.
In the United States, however, bike companies had to find bike buyers outside the mass market dominated by bikes made in Asia. American and European makers geared their bikes for competitive riders, such as triathletes and other road racers. The ownership of Schwinn-branded bikes has changed hands several times. In October 2021, a privately-held Dutch group called Pon Holdings bought Dorel Sports from Dorel Industries, the parent company for Schwinn, Cannondale, GT and Mongoose. The deal included acquisition of Pacific Cycle, which still manages the Schwinn brand and others from its headquarters in Madison. The original factory in Chicago that once employed as many as 2,000 people is long gone.