Bicycle manufacturing Murray Ohio Manufacturing Company was founded in 1919 to make fenders, fuel tanks, and other automobile parts. Most Murray bicycles were for the youth market, often featuring one-piece steel
Ashtabula cranksets and internally brazed frames using inexpensive seamed or straight-gauge steel tubing. These low-cost parts and materials undercut the prices of Murray's competition, selling millions of bicycles (often with retailer names) to department stores, hardware stores, and general retailers. Schrekengost styled more than 100 mostly youth bicycles for Sears,
Western Auto,
Firestone Tire, and other retailers, including the
Spaceliner,
Western Flyer, and
Firestone. By modifying chain guards, luggage carriers, lighting, handlebars, and truss rods, Schrekengost gave each bicycle a distinctive look while retaining the same welded tube frame design. Like its competitor,
American Machine and Foundry (AMF), Murray left Cleveland in the 1950s and moved its factory and assembly plant to the American South, choosing a factory site in
Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, with corporate headquarters located in
Brentwood, Tennessee. A court declared their pickets illegal, and Tennessee state troopers were brought to the factory to stop picketing by striking workers on April 19. The company was unable to resume production that day because an electrical transformer was sabotaged by a sniper. The next day the state troopers were initially rebuffed by striking workers, before moving against them again and then clearing a path for the replacement workers. Nine picketers were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. Two hundred marched from the factory to the jail singing "we shall not be moved" after the arrests. The next day approximately 60 workers were arrested by state troopers. There were still scores of state troopers guarding the facility on May 12 when two explosions went off near the facility that reporters linked to the conflict. Some of those arrested were transported to jail in a state highway department dump truck. It later became a UAW plant (1991), and produced both bicycles and lawn and garden equipment. One of its more famous former employees is former Senator
Fred D. Thompson. Youth bicycle production received a boost with the 1965 introduction of Murray's version of the small-tired, banana-seat,
wheelie bike pioneered by Schwinn, the Murray
Wildcat. The
Wildcat was also styled by Schreckengost, who gave it his own interpretation of a
chopper motorcycle, with
high-rise handlebars, a tall
sissy bar, and a flared rear fender. A series of models followed, including the
Eliminator,
Firecat and
Hotshot. In 1977, again following a youth trend, Murray introduced its
BMX model. During the 1980s, in an attempt to overcome declining sales, Murray began selling its bicycle line in lower-cost mass market stores and discount chains such as
Target,
K-Mart,
Woolworth, and
Wal-Mart. While the practice enabled the company to increase sales of overall units, profits failed to meet expectations as a result of reduced margins imposed by mass retailers. Additionally, many independent bicycle dealers (IBDs) resented the new competition, and in retaliation some dealers refused to stock or promote Murray bicycles. In June 1988, the Murray Ohio Manufacturing Company was acquired by the British investment group
Tomkins plc. In 1996, Murray Inc., one of the last major U.S. bicycle producers along with
Huffy Bicycle and
Roadmaster (formerly AMF), received a major blow when U.S. courts ruled that imports from China were not a "material threat" to U.S. companies. Within three years, Huffy, Roadmaster and Murray ceased manufacture of bicycles in the United States. In 1998, Murray moved bicycle production from Lawrenceburg to a non-union factory in Mississippi. Production of all U.S.-made bicycles halted in 1999. In 2000, the Murray brand was acquired by
Pacific Cycle, a U.S. distributor of bicycles produced in
Taiwan and the
People's Republic of China. Murray has since been used as a brand for imported Chinese bicycles sold by Pacific Cycle. Pacific Cycle was later acquired by
Dorel Industries, and then
Pon Holdings.
Lawn and garden equipment Murray also manufactured lawn and garden equipment. In June 1988, Murray was acquired by
Tomkins plc of
Great Britain. In 1993, the new company purchased the Noma brand of lawn and garden equipment. It manufactured under a variety of brands, including for other companies. Murray made all "502" and "536" model prefix product that was sold under the Craftsman name at Sears. (AMF and Western Tool made "536" product as well, but they were absorbed by Murray). Murray licensed the
Stanley brand and produced lawn and garden mowers and
snow blowers sold at
Wal-Mart and other retailers. • Dynamark • Stanley (under license) • AL-KO • Bertsche • JardiPro • TTI • Wizard (for
Western Auto) ==Financial status==