Velocity Rims moving factory to Jacksonville

[ben says]

http://jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=535066

At a time when the Jacksonville City Council continues to hear complaints from taxpayers about providing large companies with tax incentives to bring jobs to Jacksonville, small businesses continue to emerge without much help beyond a bank loan.
One of those businesses is Velocity Worldwide, a bicycle parts manufacturer whose main products are bicycle rims and wheels.

The company plans to move its factory from Brisbane, Australia, to Jacksonville and plans to have the factory operating by mid-February.

“When we researched moving the factory, Florida looked like a fairly business friendly state. I read where it is considered the third most business friendly state in the country,” said John Black, who owns the company with his brother, Tom Black.

“We produce aluminum bicycle rims and there are several high quality aluminum extruders in the area. They can provide better quality metals at a better price than we are paying now in Australia. Also, wages are not as much (in Jacksonville) as compared to Australia,” he said.

The decision wasn’t purely business-based.

“My brother and his wife like it warm, and they will oversee the factory,” said John Black.

The company is negotiating to lease a 17,500-square-foot building in Jacksonville, but did not reveal the location pending completion of the agreement.

The company plans to start in 10,000 square feet of space and expand as needed. The move will allow Velocity to offer “the only U.S.-produced aluminum rim in the cycling industry,” it claims.

The company plans to hire 8-10 people, mostly for general factory work.

The brothers are from Grand Rapids, Mich. Tom Black founded Velocity in the late 1980s while living in Australia and started the company by selling to the Australian market, but that market soon was outpaced by demand in the U.S., he said.

The company offers traditional aluminum rims as well as rims in different colors and patterns to allow riders to personalize their rides. Patterns include bass boat blue, snakeskin, lumberjack plaid and fish bone.

Velocity opened its U.S. distribution center in Grand Rapids in 1992. That location will become the company’s global headquarters.

The Australian facility will become a distribution center for the Asian and Australian markets.

Taking care of customer needs is one of the reasons for the company’s longevity, said Tom Black.

“We have always tried to provide our customers with the products they want and will do almost anything to keep them happy. We can respond quickly to changes in the market and offer a large range of rim profiles in all the colors of the rainbow,” said Black.

“It’s a good company and they’ve been in business for a while, so you know they have to make a good product. It will be interesting to see them open up the factory here,” said Scott Gross, owner of Open Road Bicycles in Avondale.

jwilhelm@baileypub.com

356-2466

[Tacachale]

Good news. Hopefully this will be a nice addition to the economic landscape.

[jandar]

I'm going to take a guess and say Westlake. Be a good location near the highway and close to other metal shops. Maybe off of commonwealth otherwise.

[Ocklawaha]

We Ride

We believe that the ultimate test for bicycle accessories is on the bike, in the real world. At our factory you don't see people in white lab coats with clipboards analyzing data. You see people who ride their bikes to and from work and on the trails, roads and velodromes.

WELCOME! Couldn't have picked a better city and I'll give it 10 years, and 10 winters, and the Global Headquarters will be moving to JAX as well. Why not? Everyone else in the north has moved here. Something out by the Baldwin-Jacksonville Rail Trail would be an excellent location with a miles long free test track right outside their door. I don't know, but there is something so much more attractive about peddling under giant sentinel oak trees and palms then through the frozen tundra in Michigan. However, in this city and Florida in general, pedestrians and bicyclist along the roadway seem to be more of a target then welcome addition to our transportation mix. Perhaps this move will enhance our efforts at getting a comprehensive SAFE bike trail system in the city and throughout North Florida. Be great to see Old Hickory's Town take the lead on a two wheeler.

OCKLAWAHA

[Dog Walker]

Brisbane also has to be the most boring city in Australia and so spread out that you would have to be a long distance bike rider to get around in it, but maybe after Grand Rapids it wasn't so bad.  Ock is right.  A winter or two in Grand Rapids and they will move headquarters to Jax.

I wonder if Drew at City Cycle or the guys at Zen Cog had anything to do with this.  They both carry Velocity products.

[ben says]

Brisbane also has to be the most boring city in Australia and so spread out that you would have to be a long distance bike rider to get around in it, but maybe after Grand Rapids it wasn't so bad.  Ock is right.  A winter or two in Grand Rapids and they will move headquarters to Jax.

I wonder if Drew at City Cycle or the guys at Zen Cog had anything to do with this.  They both carry Velocity products.

As is Canberra. I hear a lot of those planned Australian cities are boring/spread out. Guess that's what happens when you're a comparatively new country and urban design isn't at the forefront of priorities?

[ben says]

Anyways, even though it's a small company, great addition to Jax, and glad to have someone from half-way around the world pick Jax as their 'go-to' spot.

[TPC]

Welcome to Jacksonville!

I heard about this a while ago and I'm glad there finally here. I have a set of Velocity rims and it's cool to know that they are now made in my backyard.

[thelakelander]

It's cool that they moved to a neighborhood like Riverside.  It's a nice addition to an area that has a good set of a mix of uses within a fairly compact setting.

[BridgeTroll]

Interesting...

“When we researched moving the factory, Florida looked like a fairly business friendly state. I read where it is considered the third most business friendly state in the country,” said John Black, who owns the company with his brother, Tom Black.

“We produce aluminum bicycle rims and there are several high quality aluminum extruders in the area. They can provide better quality metals at a better price than we are paying now in Australia. Also, wages are not as much (in Jacksonville) as compared to Australia,” he said.

[acme54321]

Hipsters of Riverside rejoice!  Your favorite manufacturer of neon pink deep V wheels has arrived in Jax!!

[Live_Oak]

Is north of I-10 still considered Riverside?  The article says it's on Goodwin across from Leroy's Convenience store.  That would place it near Goodwin and Lewis.  Not really what I would call Riverside, but good news anyway.

[thelakelander]

North Riverside.  Not directly connected anymore due to the I-95/I-10 interchange.