Alice B. Toeclips Awards]
Chris King, founder of Portland-based King Cycle Group will be inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame later this month at the Interbike trade show in Las Vegas.
King, who moved his company to Northwest Portland a few years ago, developed his first headset in 1976 in Santa Barbara, California. Since then Chris King headsets and hubs have become known as the standards by which all others are measured.
This quote from Chris (taken from their ’96 catalog) sums up his philosophy:
“It seems as though ‘good enough’ has become the standard. There are many reasons substandard quality components are not good enough; here are a few of mine. Like most people, I have limited time to work on my bike and I don’t like hassles, so the parts we design need to be easy to service. I certainly don’t like to get stuck out in the middle of nowhere so they also need to be reliable and durable. And, since we are in the business of making high-tech parts, we simply have to make them light.”
local Cyclocross event.]
Far beyond just another manufacturer, Chris King has built a company whose culture and business practices are leading the way just like his popular components. I have never met a business person more committed to both giving back to the community, creating a quality work environment and having as little impact as possible on the earth as Chris King.
At considerable financial cost, he has developed many internal operating procedures and processes that minimize environmental impact. From air filtration systems at their factory to an oil recycling system in their machines, King Cycle Group is a very responsible corporate citizen.
Congratulations Chris, we’re proud to have you and your company in Portland.