January 23/13 12:07 pm - Chia Cherne Factory Tour

Posted by Editoress on 01/23/13
 

Canadian Cyclist was the only Canadian publication invited to attend a factory tour last fall in Taiwan, hosted by TAITRA, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council. TAITRA administers the Taipei Cycle show, the third largest bike industry show in the world (after Eurobike and Interbike), and the largest for manufacturers (Eurobike and Interbike are mainly for retailers). Here is one of our factory visits - to read the overview to our visit and access all the articles, go to the main page Here


Chia Cherne

Chia Cherne Industry will be recognized by most consumers for one brand name - Jagwire. The company started in 1986 producing bicycle cables (brake and derailleur) for the OEM market, but introduced their own brand, Jagwire in 1995, working with a California design team.

The company has 300 employees spread among three Chinese factories, one in Vietnam, the Taiwanese headquarters (where some production is also done), plus offices in the U.S. and Belgium. Currently, 80% of their production is for the OEM market, with 20% their own Jagwire brand.

The primary product for Chia Cherne is cable and housing, followed by a recent growth in hydraulic brake hose, then brake pads (both rim and disc) and, finally, a small market in related tools. They supply cable and housing for a staggering 12 million bikes per year, all in the specialty market.

Mr Y.P. Kuo, the President, points out "cables are not sexy, but very important for performance. We create the details that make a bike look, feel and perform better."

However, the company admits that the trend toward hydraulic brake systems and now electronic shifting is certainly a concern, and they have started to build a business in other areas dealing with control systems, such as disc brake pads.


Photo Gallery

jagwire.com.tw and jagwireusa.com