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SRAM history
SRAM company history timeline
He serendipitously met Sam Patterson on a 1987 ski trip in Park City, Utah.
SRAM Corporation was started in Chicago in 1987 by Stanley R. Day, who hated fumbling for the gearshift on his bike while training for triathlons on weekends.
Day assembled a group of investors in the summer of 1987 and set up an office in the Fulton-Carroll entrepreneurial incubator building run by the Industrial Council of Northwest Chicago.
Mannesmann had acquired control of Sachs in 1987.
1987: SRAM Corporation is formed in Chicago.
SRAM was founded in 1987 based on a single product, the Grip Shift, first released the following year.
But it was home-sweet-home as they raced to debut at the Long Beach bike show in January 1988.
The company ended 1988 with about a dozen enthusiastic employees, some culled from Day's former employer Molex.
Scott Molina, 1988 Ironman champion, was among the triathletes who enthusiastically embraced the product, originally called the DB shifter.
Cannondale began using the CX model of the shifter on its mountain bikes in 1989.
1989: RockShox, Inc. is founded.
An office opened in Dortmund, Germany, in 1992 and moved to The Netherlands the next year.
TIME added mountain bike pedals in 1993.
Revenues were about $25 million in 1994.
The company opened a 43,560-square-foot manufacturing plant near Chicago in 1994.
In 1995, SRAM set up its first European plant in Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary, Ireland.
SRAM began selling its own derailleur--the device that moves the change between the different cogs--in the spring of 1995, intensifying its competition with Shimano in the upper end of the market (SRAM's was priced at $200).
1995: SRAM's first European plant is set up in Ireland.
RockShox went public in 1996 in an offering that raised $72 million.
RockShox rode the mountain bike boom to sales of $106 million for the fiscal year ending March 1997.
Acquiring Sachs in 1997
SRAM was able to purchase the bicycle parts division in 1997, adding key business elements and production capabilities and taking their company international in the process. “It brought us huge new expertise, in metallurgy and drivetrain technology,” Lousberg said.
Products in development included an integrated handlebar system for leisure bikes called SmartBar (designed by Inspire Design Group, LLC of Wisconsin). A new internal gear hub factory opened in Schweinfurt, Germany, in 1999.
RockShox was formed in North Carolina in 1989 and moved to California three years later. Its June 2000 move to Colorado saved it an estimated $5 million a year.
In 2001, SRAM's German subsidiary filed an anti-dumping complaint with the European Union against rival Shimano.
SRAM released its first XO rear derailleur in 2001.
2002: RockShox is acquired.
SRAM entered the road bike market in 2003 with cassettes and chains.
Avid was acquired in the spring of 2004.
SRAM's next venture into road cycling since the introduction of Grip Shift came in 2006 when they launched their Force and Rival mechanical 10-speed groupsets.
SRAM launched its RED group in 2007.
Also, in 2007, SRAM acquired the bicycle component company Zipp.
SRAM acquired power meter crank manufacturer Quarq in 2011.
In 2012, SRAM introduced wide-range 1x11 mountain bike shifting with its XX1 groupset.
Velocio was founded in 2013 and remained singularly focused on premium cycling apparel.
By 2014, this technology premiered on cyclocross bikes as SRAM Force 1 (originally CX1). In addition, the group expanded into other applications, including time-trial, triathlon, road, and fitness bikes.
In August 2015, SRAM announced the release of its 11-speed wireless electronic road groupset, SRAM RED eTap.
In May 2016, SRAM released the 1x12 Eagle drivetrain technology in the XX1 and X01 variants.
Also, in 2016, SRAM acquired ShockWiz.
In 2017, SRAM launched the 1x12 GX Eagle drivetrain, the same technology as Eagle XX1 and X01 drivetrains at a more affordable price point.
TyreWiz was launched in 2018 as a lightweight and durable tire pressure measurement device that fits directly onto the valve.
Velotron, acquired in 2018, delivers science-grade training experiences while setting the standard for training ergometers.
On February 6, 2019, SRAM released three new wireless electronic groupsets.
In February 2021, SRAM announced the acquisition of the entire range of road and mountain pedals, cleats, and related patents of TIME Sport.
In April of 2021, SRAM launched its SRAM Rival eTap AXS groupset.
SRAM acquired Velocio, a performance cycling apparel company, in 2022.
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SRAM competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specialized Bicycles | 1974 | $500.0M | 1,500 | 52 |
| GT Bicycles | 1972 | $380.0M | 775 | - |
| Vitesse Data | 2014 | $780.0M | 3,000 | 21 |
| OPTO | 1981 | $35.0M | 75 | 9 |
| Winbond Electronics Corporation-Amer | - | $24.0M | 17 | - |
| Solid State | - | $2.4M | 25 | 6 |
| Creative Labs | 1981 | $1.1B | 3,000 | 10 |
| Alpha Technology | 1956 | $62.0M | 20 | 89 |
| Image Solutions | 1997 | $17.0M | 20 | 1 |
SRAM history FAQs
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of SRAM, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about SRAM. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at SRAM. 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 SRAM. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of SRAM and its employees or that of Zippia.
SRAM may also be known as or be related to SRAM, SRAM Corporation, SRAM LLC, Sram, LLC and Sram, Llc.