Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Bell Sports Corp history
Bell Sports Corp company history timeline
From our first helmet manufactured in a garage behind Bell Auto Parts in 1954 under the leadership of Roy Richter, to the present line, we're constantly breaking new ground in safety and technology innovation.
Established 1954, proven ever since.
In 1957, though, an article appeared in Sports Cars Illustrated —the forerunner to Car and Driver —that would force Richter to redesign his product.
In 1975, the company quietly introduced a product that would later become its major source of revenue: the Bell Biker, the first hard shell bicycle helmet introduced onto the market.
In 1988, Bell began marketing its products in Europe.
On November 16, 1989, a group of investors and lenders, including the former management and owners, took over ownership of the company through a leveraged buyout.
Cook, Anne, “Bike-Safety Push a Boon to Rantoul Helmet Maker,” Champaign (Illinois) News-Gazette, May 8, 1994.
Fiscal year 1994 proved to be another banner year as revenue jumped to $116 million and profits jumped to $10.4 million.
Chief among these purchases was the company’s 1995 purchase of American Recreation Company Holdings, Inc., the nation’s second largest helmet manufacturer at the time, with a 22 percent market share.
In 1997, however, demand related to helmet legislation began to level off and Bell once again faced increased competition.
During 1997, Bell sought out the services of investment bank Montgomery Securities to find buyers for the company in the hope of stabilizing its financial situation.
"Bell Sports Corporation ." International Directory of Company Histories. . Retrieved June 22, 2022 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/books/politics-and-business-magazines/bell-sports-corporation-0
Rate how well Bell Sports Corp lives up to its initial vision.
Bell Sports Corp jobs
Do you work at Bell Sports Corp?
Does Bell Sports Corp communicate its history to new hires?
Bell Sports Corp competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renfro Corporation | 1921 | $660.0M | 3,000 | - |
| Berne Apparel | 1915 | $2.3M | 25 | 2 |
| Gerber Childrenswear | 1928 | $47.5M | 2,400 | 2 |
| Pennington Seed | 1945 | $29.0M | 232 | - |
| Jimco Lamp Co | - | $3.5M | 50 | - |
| Gildan | 1984 | $2.0B | 44,000 | 18 |
| Maybelline New York | 1915 | $2.6B | 4,118 | - |
| Hooker Furniture | 1924 | $433.2M | 1,148 | 13 |
| Jacobson | 1943 | $4.7M | 50 | 22 |
| Dayton, OH | 1898 | $4.1B | 7,000 | - |
Bell Sports Corp history FAQs
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Bell Sports Corp, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Bell Sports Corp. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Bell Sports Corp. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Bell Sports Corp. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Bell Sports Corp and its employees or that of Zippia.
Bell Sports Corp may also be known as or be related to Bell Sports Corp and Bell Sports Inc.