Cannondale Resumes Bike Production
-
Tue March 04 2003
-
Posted Mar 3, 2003
- 7,202
MARCH 04, 2003 -- BEDFORD, PA (BRAIN)--Cannondale's production workers began returning yesterday to work full time in the company's Bedford bike factory. Employees had worked sporadically over the past several weeks building frames for Cannondale's European subsidiary.
Other factory employees will return to work this week, according to company officials.
Employees were furloughed during the course of Cannondale's Chapter 11 filing. The motorcycle division remains closed.
Yesterday staff for Cannondale's fabrication departments, which include parts preparation, welding, weld sanding, heat-treating and frame machining, came back to work full-time. As the output of those departments moves through the production line, employees who work on later aspects of bike production will return later this week.
Staff for the finishing departments, including painting and finish-sanding, will return mid-week, with final bike assembly and packaging workers scheduled to punch in on Friday.
The complete crew of production workers is scheduled to return by Tuesday, March 11, company officials said.
Scott Montgomery, a company vice president, said the workers' quick return combined with the continued cold weather across much of the country will minimize the effects of the factory shutdown on the company's dealers.
"We're very, very excited to have full production coming back on-line," Montgomery said. "It's fortunate that we went into the factory shutdown with a good inventory of bikes. The fact that it's been such a cold winter has allowed that inventory to go quite a bit further than it otherwise might have. Now that production is up-and-running, we're looking forward to attacking the busy spring season with a single focus, renewed purpose and a steady stream of Cannondale product."