FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany (BRAIN) — Distributors, retailers and consumers need to order their Gore cables now. The company plans to exit the business by year’s end. Several OE customers, including SRAM, along with key distributors in the U.S. and Europe have been told the company will accept orders through October.
The company has had a mixed run in the cable business over the last 19 years. It first launched sealed mountain bike cables from offices in Flagstaff, Arizona, in 1993. The company then pulled out of the market in 2001 and re-entered it with road and mountain bike cables in 2007.
It will be s slow wind-down for the company, distributors and others said. Gore representatives have told them they will meet all its commitments before ceasing production. Jagwire, a Taiwan company, is Gore’s manufacturer. A key reason for the company’s decision to leave the business is that it is primarily an aftermarket brand.
Over the years, Gore has had little success in grabbing market share from OEs because of the price. What makes the cables unique is the membrane that coats the cable. The formula is a tightly guarded trade secret at the privately held company with headquarters in Newark, Delaware.
