FINALIST – Consumer Products
Bill Duehring
president
Felt Bicycles
Bill Duehring has had a passion for bicycles and a knowledge of the industry since he was 12 years old when his parents opened a bike shop in Orlando, Fla. It was there, from his father, that he learned his hard work ethic, salesmanship and mechanic skills.
He worked his way through the ranks of the bike industry before becoming president of Irvine, Calif.-based Felt Bicycles, the U.S. component of Felt, in 1999.
Duehring took on the company when it was a small, four-person garage operation delivering bikes from a family van.
He transformed it and has since turned it into a multimillion-dollar company with more than 60 employees, distributing bikes via FedEx to 850 current dealers across the U.S. Felt Bicycles is now one of the world’s most respected cycling brands.
The company’s success stems in no small part from Duehring’s management experience and more than 25 years of relationships with key bicycle factories and parts makers from all over the world.
Duehring has also strategically built a team that is as dedicated as he is to the company’s ultimate goal: to build a bicycle brand dedicated to quality and technology.
He encourages this team to challenge traditional bike designs, develop innovative sales and marketing programs, utilize cutting-edge products and offer quality customer service.
Duehring is also dedicated to community service, making donations of money and bikes to various organizations.
He has a personal connection to breast cancer research, which prompted him to build a bike to raise money for the cause in 2004.
The resulting Promise Cruiser came out in 2005, benefitting the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
HOW TO REACH: Felt Bicycles, www.feltbicycles.com
