American Bicycle Security Company Interview

American Bicycle is the Premier Manufacturer of Bike Lockers and Bike Racks as well as a supplier of related equipment. They maintain the consultation capability to assist their customers in developing successful bike commute programs, selecting the proper bike parking for their needs and budget.

How did American Bicycle Security Co. get started? In 1987 Turtle Storage Ltd. became the Southern California dealer for Bike Lokr company. I bought product from them, picked up a large order of parts in a rented truck, and stored them in a rented storage space. I would then sell the product throughout southern California then do all of the delivery and installations. About 2 years into the relationship, the company was sold to an employee. Good for us bad for them. I started outselling their ability to finance production, and with them not having the means to obtain any financing I was given a 3 month notice of termination. That was the motivator to start up our own production facility and within about a year Bike Lokr company had gone out of business. In 1990 a building was purchased, equipment bought, tooling, and materials purchased and we were underway.

What was the inspiration behind your company name and logo? As we were selling Bike Lokr product under our corporate name, Turtle Storage Ltd., and that product line was tied to that name in the customer’s eyes, I wanted our new and greatly improved product lines to be tied to a name that said what we did. Whether it was bike lockers or racks, potential customers did not question our business. The logo came about working with a local designer who helped put the whole package together with fonts and colors.

What should everybody know about your bike lockers and the benefits they provide? We were the first one into the market with a one-piece bike locker in molded fiberglass composite. We listened to the real complaint of our customers and it was receiving pallets of parts and having to hire assemblers on site. We also designed the simple locking bar locking system which so many companies copied over the years, though we have seen that most do not use the same strength spec materials we have never deviated away from. Our company was the first in the industry with a Safety View feature to see inside lockers after 9/11 and had a write up in Wall Street Journal describing how we were adapting to our customer needs across the country. With over 34 years in business, American Bicycle Security Co. has always been and an innovator, not an imitator.

What makes American Bicycle Security Co. unique? All of our lockers are manufactured in our facility. As such, we also make molds and tooling for both our products and other customers, which includes parts for transit buses/trains, fire engines, marine, and aerospace to name a few. And for lockers, we not only have our standard product lines but can accommodate custom lockers having made them for storage of motorcycles, emergency supplies, wheelchairs, and much more. With full manufacturing capabilities, we can mold parts in a variety of materials, color matching for customers plus screened logos molded into the parts.

What are the biggest problems that Movatic’s app-based access to bike lockers have solved? For many years, our customers have been dealing with how to manage their locker use, whether it was our coin-operated locks, key locks, or padlock system. Each of these had their attributes and faults pending the type of use desired by the customer. Movatic brought to us the first all-around easy to implement and tailorable system for our customers whether they are private companies or municipalities that are promoting bike use and dealing with an employee or public bike locker access. The Movatic system allows the bike locker owner to monitor and control access whether it be rewarding the rider who is most consistently commuting by bike or reassigning lockers to more dedicated riders. Or for municipalities to generate income with their public bike parking.

What new opportunities have working with Movatic created for you? The Movatic system fills another need for many of our customers that want the ability to manage their bike parking facilities with the least amount of effort.

Anything else you’d like to add? It has been a long road but time flies by and overall it has been and continues to be an interesting adventure.