Stan's NoTubes - Fourteen years ago, Stan Koziatek took a fresh look at a problem that had forever plagued cyclists -- flat tires. Since the root cause of the problem was failure of the inner tube to hold air, his solution was to enable riders to eliminate the inner tube and make the tires self-sealing. This idea propelled Stan into a series of innovations and experiments, resulting in a patented rim design and a world renowned tire sealant.
Like many innovators, Stan’s ideas were initially dismissed by industry experts, but he was persistent. He would show up at the start of national-series mountain bike races and punch holes into his own tires with an ice pick. His sealant would almost immediately fill the holes and allow Stan to ride as low as 18psi. The world's top riders took note, often switching to Stan’s products and peeling off his decals to avoid upsetting their sponsors.
In order to offer his better tubeless tire system to an expanding bicycle market, Stan and his wife Cindy founded Stan's NoTubes. This was a great partnership with Stan as the Chief Technical Officer and Cindy as the Chief Financial Officer. Under their guidance the company located in Big Flats has grown to employ 35 people.
While the core product line of Stan's NoTubes remains the innovative sealant and tubeless conversion kits that helped establish the brand, the company is increasingly expanding into more advanced products and materials, including a new line of carbon fiber wheelsets. In recent years the company has seen tremendous growth in its wheelset division, based largely on a technology Stan patented, Bead Socket Technology, that allows rims to better hold tires and allow an air tight seal for tubeless use. The technology allows for lighter rims, improved durability, increased tire traction, and decreased chance of flatting. Stan's rim design rolled across the line first at the Beijing Olympics, and even more recent innovations in carbon fiber technology have helped maintain the company's broad acceptance as the worldwide industry leader in tubeless technology.
Stan's NoTubes products are sold through US dealers, US distributors, fifty international distributors, and the company's own website which incorporates extensive customer support content, both for pre and post-sale. Their marketing program also relies on active use of social media sites. Two major industry publications have included Stan in their short list of the most important people in cycling.
For more information, see www.notubes.com or call 607-562-2877.
See this and other newsletter articles at http://amt-mep.org/files/2314/3584/7157/2015-07.pdf
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