Conference noted::bicycle

2461.0. "Klein going to China?" by DECWET::BINGHAM (John Bingham) Mon Nov 16 1992 17:56

  "IEEE Spectrum", November 1992, Classified Employment Opportunities:
 
  Manufacturing/Design Engineer - Chehalis, WA.  Use PC-based CAD,
  kinematics and FEA to design bicycle frames, tires and components. 
  Design, supervise fabrication through check-out of mfg. tooling and
  equipment.  Coordinate and negotiate with overseas manufacturers.  Utilize
  CAM software to generate CNC machine code for prototype and production
  forming die and tooling.  Requirements:  M.S. in Mech. Eng., thesis in
  metal forming related subject, plus two years experience mfg/design
  engineer.  One year CADKEY, MASTERCAM and COSMO FEA application, software
  experience.  Speak, read and write fluent Chinese.  Experience required
  percision cold metal forging, related cold metal forging, related
  machinery design, sim. and analysis of metal forming processes.  Hours: 
  40-50 hours per week, flex.  Wages:  $37,000.  Resume must be received by
  December 1, 1992 at:  Employment Security Department, E&T Division, JOB
  #0332585-F, P.O. Box 9046, Olympia, WA 98507-9046.
 
 Looks like Klein is going to China for overseas manufacturing.
 

    
    Or maybe Taiwan.  I guess this shouldn't be a surprise - Klein has done
    a good job of promoting their stuff and making it "cool" to have one of
    their bikes.  To capitalize on it, they have to get some more generally
    affordable product on the market.  This would be very difficult if you
    had to pay the wages folks who can weld aluminum well make in the heart
    of Boeing country.  Looks like they want to be another Fisher.
    
    They probably timed this to incite further discussion on the global trade
    thread already playing elsewhere in this notesfile.  I just wonder how
    long domestic framebuilders will last when they sacrifice all of the
    large-volume business to offshore production.  Didn't they try that in
    Detroit a while back?  And at Campagnolo a few years later?
    
    Will Monin
    Seattle