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White Industries buys Rolf Prima & Astral, combining rim, hub & wheel manufacturers

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White Industries has bought long-time “companion” manufacturers Rolf Prima and Astral Biking, bringing rim and wheel experience below the identical roof as their legendary hubs and headsets.

Effectively, technically, they’ll nonetheless be below separate roofs, as White Industries will stay in Petaluma, CA, and Rolf Prima/Astral will maintain their facility in Eugene, OR. The businesses have collaborated on wheel builds for many years and are intimately accustomed to one another’s operations.

The pairings turned extra obvious in 2017 when Rolf’s CEO Brian Roddy launched Astral to make domestically manufactured rims, giving White the power to supply full wheels with components made simply up the highway. Astral gives a couple of further equipment, their most original being the O.N.S. seatpost with emergency security package saved inside.

Alec White examining an Astral Cycling carbon rim
Alec White inspecting an Astral carbon rim.

White Ind. additionally makes backside brackets, cranks, chainrings, and different small components. Based by Doug White in 1978, the corporate has been co-run by Doug and son Alec for so long as we’ve recognized them.

Rolf Prima, began greater than 20 years in the past by Rolf Dietrich, is greatest recognized for his or her paired spoke wheels, and has been utilizing custom-made White hubs for a lot of of these years. Examine our Rolf manufacturing facility tour in case you’re not accustomed to their designs.

Alec White learning how to build a bike wheel

Right here’s the complete press launch:

On January 1st, after almost twenty years of shut collaboration and partnership, White Industries of Petaluma, California has bought “sister” wheel manufacturers Rolf Prima and Astral Biking of Eugene, Oregon. Alec White and Doug White, homeowners of White Industries, will take full possession of each Oregon wheel manufacturers as former proprietor Brian Roddy strikes on to new ventures.

Based in 1978 by Doug White in his storage in Marin County, California, White Industries is greatest recognized for his or her precision-made hubs, backside brackets, freewheels, headsets, and cranksets, all of that are designed and machined at their store in Petaluma, California. Day by day operations of the corporate are actually run by his son, Alec White.

“I’ve been working in my household’s enterprise for so long as I may tie my footwear, and for almost all that point we’ve been collaborating with Rolf Prima on their {custom} hubs,” says Alec. “When the chance introduced itself to tackle these corporations, it was a simple choice. We’re each small corporations which have related values, sturdy relationships, and superior crews. There’s a variety of thrilling new alternatives for us to pursue collectively.”

Alec will oversee all three manufacturers, whereas Jimmy Krigbaum, the Oregon manufacturers’ Common Supervisor, will proceed to steer the Rolf Prima/Astral Biking workforce in Oregon.

“We now have been working collectively regularly for a very long time and in a variety of methods it’ll be enterprise as common,” says Krigbaum. “However it opens the door for thrilling collaborations. We’re all simply bike nerds that wish to make rad stuff and now our concepts and approaches will stream backwards and forwards seamlessly.”

Rolf Dietrich, the inventor of the distinctive paired-spoke wheel building, based Rolf Prima alongside Brian Roddy and others in Eugene, Oregon over 20 years in the past. Roddy and climbing companion, Steve Money, purchased Rolf Prima upon Rolf’s retirement and Roddy has operated Rolf Prima since. In 2017 he launched…

In 2017 he launched a second model, Astral Biking, with product growth targeted on rims, traditionally-laced wheels, and journey elements. Past Roddy’s departure, no personnel modifications are deliberate presently.

Brian Roddy of Rolf Prima will stay on for the approaching months to make sure a easy transition. “I couldn’t ask for a greater companion to proceed the imaginative and prescient of Rolf Prima and Astral Biking than the workforce at White Industries. We wished somebody who understood what’s particular about what we do and wished to construct it with our workforce right here in Eugene, and that’s precisely what’ll be occurring. I’m proud to see the workforce we constructed and Alec stick with it and develop this enterprise.”

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