Cobra Motorcycles Moves to Michigan
Hillsdale, Mich., welcomes world’s top competition mini cycle and mini quad cycle manufacturer
HILLSDALE, Mich., (March 1, 2006) – With competition success
unparalleled in the 50cc motocross racing industry, Cobra Motorcycles,
Inc., has experienced a great deal of growth in both mini cycle and
mini quad cycle sales in the past several years. With this in mind the
company, which was founded more than a decade ago in New Middletown,
Ohio, has made the decision to move to a new location that will
accommodate its sales growth and technological expansion needs.
The new location, Hillsdale, Mich., is still only several hours away
from Cobra’s current headquarters in North Lima, Ohio. The move, though
an understandably difficult decision by Cobra management, was necessary
based on a number of reasons, according to company President Sean
Hilbert.
“There are several factors that pulled us in the direction of
Hillsdale,” said Hilbert. “We first of all need room for expansion. The
new facility is double the size of our current one, and there is more
room to expand beyond that. Another key point in the Ohio-to-Michigan
move was that not only do the two states border each other, which will
help with the decision Cobra’s highly valued employees face when given
the option to relocate, but the City of Hillsdale and the State of
Michigan rolled out some incentives that were very competitive. We
looked at several areas to relocate, but Michigan's overall package of
tax abatements, worker training funds, and real estate was very
enticing,”
Hilbert continued: “We also were looking for a place that welcomed us.
From day one we felt that Hillsdale was genuinely excited about the
possibility of having Cobra a part of their industrial landscape.
Hillsdale and the State of Michigan are looking for ways to diversify
away from automotive, and Cobra is a perfect fit. There are several
indoor and outdoor motocross facilities within an hour of the facility
that will allow us to do year-round testing.”
Hilbert said that Cobra is making efforts so that as many of the
current employees as possible will agree to make the move to nearby
Michigan and continue to be an integral part of the growth of Cobra
Motorcycles. However, there will be several new job openings as the
company grows. In fact, Cobra founder Bud Maimone’s role with the
company will continue to evolve as he and Cobra remain family.
“Cobra will always be associated with Bud, and Bud certainly wants to
see the company he started continue to grow and prosper – expanding
upon the heritage of the world’s fastest and most successful
competition mini cycles and quad cycles,” said Hilbert. “Fortunately,
though we’ve outgrown the building where Cobras were founded in 1993,
we’re happy to say that our new and improved facility has remained in
the region and will be set up in a way that better serves our customers
and dealers in the decades to come."
Cobra, founded in 1993, produces the most successful line of
competition minicycles and mini quads in the United States with more
than 100 national titles in the last decade. Based out of Youngstown,
Ohio, Cobra's mission is to build premium products for the serious
racer. For more information on Cobra products, please visit our website
at cobramotorcycle.com.
High Profile Public Relations (HPPR), LLC, is a multi-faceted
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