Schwinn Bicycle Company

Schwinn is an American bicycle brand and company founded by the German-born Ignaz Schwinn in Chicago in 1895 as Arnold, Schwinn and Company, with the backing of the meat packer Adolph Arnold. It grew into the dominant manufacturer of American bicycles in the twentieth century, known for lines such as the Paramount racing bicycles introduced in 1938 and the Sting-Ray youth bicycle. Between 1912 and 1931 Schwinn also owned the Excelsior and Henderson motorcycle makers, whose operations were closed in 1931. The company declared bankruptcy in 1992 and again in 2001, when it was bought by Pacific Cycle, which is owned by the Dutch group Pon Holdings. The firm is now headquartered in Vancouver, Washington.