Oregon native Michael Coughlin bought bicycle equipment maufacturer Burley Design, a fixture in the Eugene business landscape since 1978.
Oregon native Michael Coughlin bought bicycle equipment maufacturer Burley Design, a fixture in the Eugene business landscape since 1978. The worker-owned cooperative is transitioning into a privately owned company. The first change was the loss of 39 employees, as Coughlin refocused production from several niche products to just bicycle trailers, Burley’s best-selling line. According to marketing manager Cary Liberman, the buyout has not been met with many hard feelings, especially given that an out-of-state buyer might have eliminated all the jobs in Eugene. “Overall, it’s a positive thing,” he says.
