# Factory Fire?



## marc7654 (Jun 24, 2014)

So I keep hearing people reference a fire at a Giant plant but I've found absolutely no evidence of such a fire in any Google results or searches of industry news such as Bicycle Retailer. So can someone provide the exact date of the supposed fire and the exact city where it occurred?

I also recently talked with a Giant rep and he'd never even heard that there was this rumor going around and knew nothing about any fire at any Giant facility.

So at this point I'm going to call BS on any Giant factory fire unless someone can show me up and provide evidence.


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## gaff (Jun 9, 2014)

Apparently a worker called Huang Smokay Mereeda accidentally dropped a cigarette and the whole place went up. I cannot say anymore.


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## marc7654 (Jun 24, 2014)

gaff said:


> Apparently a worker called Huang Smokay Mereeda accidentally dropped a cigarette and the whole place went up. I cannot say anymore.


I completely understand  say no more. (smirk)


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## T800 (Jan 27, 2014)

marc7654 said:


> So I keep hearing people reference a fire at a Giant plant but I've found absolutely no evidence of such a fire in any Google results or searches of industry news such as Bicycle Retailer. So can someone provide the exact date of the supposed fire and the exact city where it occurred?
> 
> I also recently talked with a Giant rep and he'd never even heard that there was this rumor going around and knew nothing about any fire at any Giant facility.
> 
> So at this point I'm going to call BS on any Giant factory fire unless someone can show me up and provide evidence.


I googled Taiwanese and Chinese websites to see any news related to the fire, nothing came out.


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

The shops I frequent haven't mentioned anything about a fire either. They just keep telling me about delivery delays.


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## r1lee (Jul 22, 2012)

Giant employees told my store that there was a fire at one of the plants, hence the delay right across the board to go along with the port strikes.

Take it for what it's worth. Maybe the delays have been the port strikes, but there's no reason why bikes are taking 3-4 months to deliver. Is business that booming for giant that they can't deliver their own branded bikes? I don't hear specialized bikes getting delayed since they are made by Merida. I do hear about treks getting delayed though.


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## marc7654 (Jun 24, 2014)

r1lee said:


> Giant employees told my store that there was a fire at one of the plants, hence the delay right across the board to go along with the port strikes.
> 
> Take it for what it's worth. Maybe the delays have been the port strikes, but there's no reason why bikes are taking 3-4 months to deliver. Is business that booming for giant that they can't deliver their own branded bikes? I don't hear specialized bikes getting delayed since they are made by Merida. I do hear about treks getting delayed though.


I'm leaning to the fire story being made up. The delays are real and the west coast port strikes are absolutely part of the issue. There was a number of riots and fires in Vietnam but Giant does not have a factory there. 

This nearly 2 year old article has interesting info about their manufacturing. About 30% of total production is for other brands. Giant also has the worlds largest market share for bikes and their popularity is rapidly growing. Giant also makes it's own raw carbon fiber as well as having it's own Aluminum smelting operation. I have no corroborating info but Trek is rumored to be one of the frames Giant makes, both carbon and aluminum. It seems that nearly all shops selling Giant also sell Trek, not sure if that means anything or not. 

The article does note that China is the fastest growing market and I've read that in other places too. A Giant sales rep also indicate that the Chinese demand, along with the US west coast dock slowdown, were putting pressure on actual delivery of orders world wide. Something else that was noted, if a shop fully pays it's outstanding obligations to Giant, regularly, they move to the top of the list for delivery fulfillment. So shops that aren't paying their bills are not likely to get quick delivery of new bikes, particularly if there is high demand.

Lastly the new Defy and other "endurance" frames are the fastest growing segment of the bike market. Lots of recreational, semiserious, cyclists are coming on board.


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## r1lee (Jul 22, 2012)

thanks, i know all about Giant as I've visited their factory when i was in Taiwan. I no longer keep in contact, but i have a couple of friends that still do, but I use to be good friends with one of the owner's son. We rode motorcycles together and I visited them and stayed with them in Tai Chung. That was a long time ago and now he lives in China working for the company. To bad I have lost touch with him, or else i would reach out and inquire about it.

Giant makes bikes for Trek, Colnago, Scott and I'm pretty sure a few others. Back in the day, when Giant was first experimenting with Carbon, he would go home (taiwan) and bring over bikes for friends who were into cycling all these prototypes carbon frames. He wouldn't get us any components though, that was our responsibility.

whatever the situation is, a lot of bikes destined for Canada has been cancelled. For Giant, North America is still a growing market (15 years ago, my buddy would laugh at the marketshare Giant held here) I can't see them delaying or cancelling shipping bikes this way. They are getting more and more popular as the years have gone by and to give up almost a full year worth of bikes, makes no sense. 

Anyhow, that's all speculation. At least my info came from a Giant rep and that's what i'm going to run by. You take what you want out of it, if you don't believe you don't believe. It doesn't impact neither one of our lives, i was just spreading the word. We all know that there's a shortage, so get a bike if you need it.


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## T800 (Jan 27, 2014)

r1lee said:


> thanks, i know all about Giant as I've visited their factory when i was in Taiwan. I no longer keep in contact, but i have a couple of friends that still do, but I use to be good friends with one of the owner's son.


Liu's son? His son handles China's market.


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## marc7654 (Jun 24, 2014)

So just noticed a price increase in the last 36 hours. One retailer had an Avail Advanced 1 listed they quoted us at $2400 on Tuesday. Today it's listed as $2539. The wife is getting one at the lower price. I suspect the constrained supply is the reason. I'm betting that if you can't get it now or in 7 to 10 days you aren't going to get it for a while. What ever is in the supply chain may be all we get for a while.

Might be time to buy some Giant Manufacturing Co Ltd stock :thumbsup: if I actually had the $$ to do so.


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## r1lee (Jul 22, 2012)

T800 said:


> Liu's son? His son handles China's market.


No, giant is owned by 4 Taiwanese families. His last name is Yen.


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## T800 (Jan 27, 2014)

r1lee said:


> No, giant is owned by 4 Taiwanese families. His last name is Yen.


Originally there were 8 shareholders.


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## r1lee (Jul 22, 2012)

T800 said:


> Originally there were 8 shareholders.


4 families divided by husband and wife? i have no clue, he told me 4 families owned Giant. I didn't get into much detail beyond that. We were interested in Motorcycling during that time.


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## cromb (Jan 23, 2015)

My local bike shop said they were waiting for their 2015 bikes shipment and the problem was the strike on the west coast shipping docks. I am guessing that is more likely than the fire theory. Especially because there is a shipping strike. Probably the same reason my order from Wiggle I placed a month ago still hasn't arrived.


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## r1lee (Jul 22, 2012)

cromb said:


> My local bike shop said they were waiting for their 2015 bikes shipment and the problem was the strike on the west coast shipping docks. I am guessing that is more likely than the fire theory. Especially because there is a shipping strike. Probably the same reason my order from Wiggle I placed a month ago still hasn't arrived.


no offense, but your order placed at Wiggle ships by Air, not boat. The port strike/issues are related to container shipments arriving by port.


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## cromb (Jan 23, 2015)

r1lee said:


> no offense, but your order placed at Wiggle ships by Air, not boat. The port strike/issues are related to container shipments arriving by port.


Maybe you know more about shipping but I have no idea how they would have shipped my package. Is it not conceivable they could have shipped by boat?


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## kukula (Feb 23, 2008)

cromb said:


> Maybe you know more about shipping but I have no idea how they would have shipped my package. Is it not conceivable they could have shipped by boat?


r1lee is right. Your order ships by air. Small packages always ship by air. Even if you order a complete bike it'll still be air. The only time they ship by sea for international trading is by container load. That'll be either 20 foot or 40 foot container. So yea unless you bought that much it'll be air


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