Quality Bicycle Products

Quality Bicycle Products (QBP)
Private
Industry Bicycle parts and accessories distribution
Founded 1981
Headquarters Bloomington, MN, United States
Key people
 Steve Flagg, founder
Products Surly Bikes
Revenue Increase$200 million USD (2014)[1]
Number of employees
 690 (2015)
Website www.qbp.com

Quality Bicycle Products is the largest distributor of bicycle parts and accessories in the bicycle industry,[2] with revenues of $150 million in 2008.[3][4] In addition to wholesaling bicycles and components from other manufacturers, QBP owns and manufactures several brands of its own. QBP also participates in activities which support its community through cycling advocacy[2] and green building.[2]

History

Founded by Steve Flagg and Mary Henrickson in 1981, QBP operated from a small office in St. Paul, MN.[5] The company did $100,000 of sales during its first year.[6] In the second year sales reached $250,000[6] and in 1983 the company received half a million dollars in sales.[6] Early on, the company's main product was its mountain bikes, and QBP also specialized in importing hard-to-find mountain-bike parts from suppliers in Japan.[6] In 1984 QBP hired its first employee and sold $1 million in parts.[6] In 1996 QBP purchased a 67,000-square-foot (6,200 m2) warehouse on its current site in West Bloomington.[7]

QBP purchased Salsa Cycles in 1997, a California-based mountain-bike manufacturer. The following year, QBP entered the emerging single-speed bike market with its in-house designed Singleator chain tensioner. Later in 1998, this product and the new Rat Ride single-speed frame (soon renamed the 1X1) helped launch the company’s new start-up, Surly Bikes.[8] After that, the company continued developing brands for under-served markets, adding specialty parts with Problem Solvers, value parts and accessories with Dimension, and high-end components with Winwood. QBP also became the exclusive U.S. distributor for Jagwire, a Taiwan-based manufacturer of bicycle brake and derailleur components including pads, cables and cable housing.

Responding to the growing trend of bike commuting and “transportation-oriented” cycling, QBP created the Civia bike brand in 2007. The following year, QBP transformed Wheelhouse, its dealer-oriented wheel-building service, into Handspun, a consumer-oriented manufacturer of hand-trued and custom-built wheels. QBP also founded All-City, which offers single-speed and fixed-gear bikes, parts and accessories for urban bicycling.[9] In 2007 QBP received the first annual Carbon Buster Award from U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar.[10] In 2009, the company achieved Platinum-level status, the LAB’s highest designation.[9] QBP has opened a second distribution center in Ogden, Utah in the spring of 2010 that has also been awarded LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council,[11] for its use of energy-saving techniques like smart lighting.[12] QBP was named one of America's Top Work Places by Outside Magazine in 2011.[13] Later that year QBP opened a third distribution center in Middletown, PA,[14] and then moved to new facility in Lancaster, PA in January 2015.[15]

In 2015 Flagg retired from his position as CEO and was replaced with Rich Tauer, who previously served as vice-president of marketing and sales. Flagg continued on as the company's chairman. That year the company opened offices in Taiwan, bringing the company to 690 employees.[5][16] In 2016 the company opened a fourth facility in Reno, Nevada.[17]

Brands

The company owns nineteen brands including Salsa, Surly, All-City, 45North, Handspun, Foundry, Civia, Whisky, MSW, Problem Solvers, Dimension, Mechanical Threads, Rever, R12, Q-Tubes, Cogburn, Buzzy's and iSSi. QBP is also the exclusive U.S. distributor of Lazer Helmets, a Belgian manufacturer of high performance bicycle and snow helmets, and through its Q-Active division, the company distributes products to independent ski, run and outdoor retailers. QBP entered a distribution agreement with Fyxation in 2011.[18][19][20][21] The company distributes both bicycles themselves and bicycle parts, in addition to outdoor gear.[22]

Employee programs

Each February QBP hosts Frostbike, an industry tradeshow and educational forum for bicycle vendors and retailers. Frostbike also offers numerous business and technical seminars.[2] The company provides “environmental and efficiency-oriented innovation” for its employees as well, including its Great Results Improving Processes (GRIP) program, which combines principles from Six Sigma, Lean, Kaizen and Total Quality Management, which the company claims saved it approximately $2.2 million in 2008.[23] The company also hosts service summits for its employees where seminars are given on bicycle service issues and trends.[24]

The QBP Commuter Program provides employees that bike or use alternative transportation with “credits” they can use to purchase company products or redeem for lunches from local restaurants.[23] The company also has on-site showers, lockers, a free towel service, a fully stocked workshop for repairs and plentiful indoor and outdoor bike parking.[9] The company also runs Greenlightride.com, an interactive website developed to support its competitive public Commuter Bike League, where cyclists record their miles, create teams, track statistics, and network with other riders.[25] In 2008, 15 percent of the company’s 453 employees biked to work, averaging a one-way commute of 12 miles (19 km) and logging a collective 325,000 miles. In 2009 the Bicycle League of America awarded the company Platinum Level status as a Bicycle Friendly business.[9]

References

  1. ↑ https://www.internetretailer.com/2015/04/27/how-quality-bicycle-products-wheels-orders-faster-and-more-ac
  2. 1 2 3 4 Zinn, Lennard (May 2009). "Putting the Quality in Your Bicycles" (PDF). VeloNews. Competitor Group Inc. pp. 91–92. Retrieved 2009-12-28.
  3. ↑ St. Anthony, Neal (September 20, 2008). "Parts come together". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, MN: Star Tribune. Retrieved 2009-12-28.
  4. ↑ D’Ambrosio, Dan (August–September 2010). "Industry Profile QBP" (PDF). Adventure Cyclist. Adventure Cycling Association. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
  5. 1 2 "Steve Flagg steps down as QBP president". Bicycle Retailer and Industry News.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Gee, David (December 2007). "Pedal Power". Minnesota Business: 48–55.
  7. ↑ "ON THE HORIZON – QUALITY BICYCLE PRODUCTS".
  8. ↑ "Minnesota company keeps winter biking rolling". Twin Cities.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Bicycle Friendly Business: Quality Bicycle Products Platinum Level". League of American Bicyclists. Retrieved 2010-11-07.
  10. ↑ "Senator Klobuchar's Carbon Buster Awards of Excellence". Senator Klobuchar. Retrieved 2010-11-07.
  11. ↑ Staff, BRAIN (2012-07-05). "QBP earns LEED certification for Utah center". Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. Retrieved 2012-12-08.
  12. ↑ "More Companies Are Outfitting Warehouses With 'Smart' Lights". Wall Street Journal.
  13. ↑ The Editors (August 15, 2011). "49. Quality Bicycle Products". Outside Magazine. Retrieved 2013-03-04.
  14. ↑ Staff, BRAIN (2011-12-05). "QBP's East Coast warehouse up and running". Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. Retrieved 2011-12-05.
  15. ↑ Tim Stuhldreher (December 24, 2014). "Quality Bicycle Products to open Lancaster distribution center Jan. 5". LancasterOnline. Retrieved 2015-06-25.
  16. ↑ "Nobody shifts like they do at Quality Bicycle Products".
  17. ↑ TIM MEKEEL - Staff Writer (25 January 2016). "Quality Bicycle Products opens 4th distribution center in Reno". LancasterOnline.
  18. ↑ BRAIN Staff (January 5, 2011). "QBP to Distribute Fyxation". Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. Retrieved 2015-03-15.
  19. ↑ Stephen Regenold (15 January 2016). "Expert Panel: 20 'Hacks' For Better Wintertime Biking". Gear Junkie.
  20. ↑ "Guy On A Bike: With QBP It Makes Sense To Ride To Work".
  21. ↑ "QBP forbids sale of its brands through third-party online vendors".
  22. ↑ ThisisReno Staff. "Quality Bicycle Products Opens Distribution Center Creating 50 Jobs". This is Reno.
  23. 1 2 Lahouze, Andrea (August 2009). "(Re)Cycling Revolution". Enterprise Minnesota Magazine. Retrieved 2010-11-07.
  24. ↑ "QBP plans Service Summit for central region retailers". Bicycle Retailer and Industry News.
  25. ↑ "Civia Challenges Industry to a Showdown". Bicycle Retailer & Industry News. 2009-05-26. Retrieved 2010-11-07.
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