102 - Inside Park Tool: The World's Largest Bicycle Tool Company with Truman Purdy

Mountain Cog

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Go inside Park Tool, the world's largest bicycle tool company, with Technical Expert Truman Purdy in this deep-dive interview. Learn the fascinating origin story of how Art Engstrom and Howard Hawkins transformed from a small Schwinn repair shop in Minnesota to creating the iconic blue tools that define professional bike maintenance today. Discover why Park Tool switched from red Schwinn-branded tools to their trademark blue color, how they protect their brand identity, and the surprising business decisions that built their global dominance in bicycle tool manufacturing.

Truman reveals exciting details about Park Tool's newest innovation: the PRS-30 manual lift bike stand that combines the convenience of electric lifting with the reliability of manual operation. With 500+ tools in their catalog and 75% manufactured in-house at their Minnesota facility, Park Tool continues to evolve bike maintenance technology for both professional bike shops and home mechanics. Get insider insights into tool development processes, pricing strategies, Amazon marketplace challenges, and why more than ~50% of Park Tool sales now go directly to home mechanics rather than bike shops.

Website: https://www.parktool.com/en-us/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/parktoolcompany

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Chapters

1. The Tool Addicts Introduction (00:00:00)

2. Truman's Bike Collection and Riding Style (00:05:43)

3. The Garage: Beer and Bikes in Wisconsin (00:09:10)

4. Park Tool Origin Story (00:15:15)

5. Tool Development Process (00:27:12)

6. Changes in Bike Maintenance (00:39:13)

7. Park's Distribution and Pricing Strategy (00:48:10)

8. New PRS-30 Manual Lift Stand (01:07:24)

9. Passion for Creating Bike Tools (01:17:33)