If you’re interested in a U.S.-based job or career creating carbon fiber bikes, you might want to make your way to Spartanburg County, S.C.
That’s where high-end bike company TIME plans to open its second carbon manufacturing facility, it announced this week.
To land the project, TIME acquired a 140,000-square-foot factory in Landrum, S.C. The $6.5 million investment will create 105 jobs and build the “nation’s largest carbon fiber bicycle factory,” TIME said in a press release.
Landrum is a stopover on the Saluda Grade Trail, a newly-envisioned 31-mile linkup between the Carolinas along an old rail route.
“With the strong cycling culture in the Upstate of South Carolina, the proximity to the mountains and now the Saluda Grade Trail, this area is a cycling paradise,” TIME CEO Tony Karklins said.
It’s yet another venture by Karklins to locate the manufacturing and operations of a cycling brand in the American southeast. He previously brought Spanish bike manufacturer Orbea to Little Rock, Ark., and founded Allied Cycleworks, now based in Rogers, Ark.
“The scale and location of this new facility unlocks partnership opportunities across the bicycle industry; we see this project as a key building block for the growth of US bicycle manufacturing, assembly, and distribution,” said TJ Karklins, CFO of TIME Bicycles.
TIME’s proprietary carbon manufacturing techniques borrow from aerospace, elite motorsports, and the automotive industry. It’s been a while since TIME bikes have shown up on the pro circuit. They most recently appeared on the defunct ProTour with Quick Step-Innergetic, Cofidis, and Bouygues Telecom.
Strategic components of its South Carolina move include aligning with Clemson University. The brand said it would work “in conjunction” with the university at the new facility, but details weren’t available as of this writing.
Meanwhile, South Carolina leaders look forward to the economic jolt the factory could bring to Spartanburg County.
“TIME is a globally known brand, and they’re bringing some serious technology to their Landrum facility. Along with the impact of the investment and jobs, this will surely put Spartanburg on the global map for cycling,” said Spartanburg County Councilman and Economic Development Committee Chairman David Britt. “Many thanks to all of our partners for helping us roll out the red carpet for TIME Bicycles.”
