In a message dated 12/14/2004 2:13:58 PM Eastern Standard Time, brook.watts@comcast.net writes:
<< I recall the Burkes and Bevil Hogg were jointly involved in it. The Burkes had retail shops in Wisconsin and N Illinois. I'd like to hear the full story... >>
I am sure there are others with more detailed info but Bevil Hogg (a South African) and Tom French were working in/running a bike shop in Madison area and importing Stella. Dick Burke (who had a large appliance-snow blower, etc. company named Intrepid) hired them to start Trek. Whether he was also the $ behind the Stella importing, I do not know. I started working for them a couple of years later. Richard Nolan was the original frame builder I think. Just before I left they hired Tim Isaac (orig. a solo builder, later Match and Litespeed) as the head bike designer. Then later Bevil & Tom left & started Kestrel. Then they sold it to Schwinn. Bevil went to Everest, the USA wheel chair company. Tom became pre. of Blackburn, then Blackburn got bought by Bell then he was back at Kestrel, but now?
Dale Brown cycles de ORO, Inc. 1410 Mill Street Greensboro, North Carolina 27408 336-274-5959 fax 336-274-6360 <A HREF="http://www.cyclesdeoro.com">cyclesdeORO.com</A> <A HREF="http://www.classicrendezvous.com./main.htm">ClassicRendezvous.com</A>