SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – A manufacturer of carbon fiber bicycle rims is expanding into Spartanburg.
Munich Composites GmbH announced on Friday it has been acquired by a new group in South Carolina headed by local wheel maker Boyd Cycling. This new company, Munich Composites SC, will continue to make carbon fiber bicycle rims and plans to open a new facility in Spartanburg County.
The Spartanburg facility will produce the company’s patented braided carbon fiber rim manufacturing process to North America.
The company is investing nearly $2 million into new facilities and is expected to create 32 new jobs by mid-summer 2024.
Established in 2013, Munich Composites GmbH has pioneered automated carbon fiber layup by utilizing a unique braided construction combined with resin transfer molding (RTM). The manufacturer’s construction creates a stronger rim by having continuous fiber throughout the entire surface.
Compared to labor-intensive carbon construction, a braided rim doesn’t require as much cutting and placing by-hand.
The South Carolina-based ownership group is led by Boyd and Nicole Johnson of Boyd Cycling as well as Cardinal Cycling Group, and other investors.
Munich Composites’ South Carolina factory will be in Landrum in collaboration with Clemson University, Cardinal Cycling Group, and the SC Fraunhofer Alliance.
The facility will be along the Saluda Grade Rail Trail, a 31-mile rail line, formerly owned by Norfolk Southern, that was purchased by a coalition of Conserving Carolina, PAL: Play, Advocate, Live Well., and Upstate Forever.
