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Moots Cycles has a new owner

Scott Franz
Brent Whittington, an avid cyclist and former telecommunications executive, purchased Moots Cycles from longtime owner Chris Miller. Moots was founded in Steamboat in 1981.
Scott Franz

— Brent Whittington’s path to purchasing a titanium bicycle manufacturing company in Steamboat Springs began in June, when he picked up a brochure at the city’s visitor center.

The avid cyclist who was on vacation here with his wife and two children, Whittington noticed an ad for a free tour of the Moots Cycles factory and was excited to show his children how bikes are built.

So the family biked from their camper to the west side of town for the tour of the factory.



The company made a big impression.

“We spent the rest of the day on the core trail, and I got to thinking thereafter, that would be a company I would like to buy,” Whittington said. “It hit everything I was looking for. It was a great management team in an industry I care deeply about. I bought the company because of the product and the team.”



Following last months sale, Moots will maintain its headquarters in Steamboat.

All the company’s current employees, including president Butch Boucher, will stay with the company.

Whittington will continue to live at home in Little Rock, Arkansas, though he plans to visit Steamboat regularly.

“I’ve got a competent team,” he said. “There’s no reason for me to be here all the time. Butch is an awesome guy, and he will continue to run it. “

After returning from a group bike ride around the city with Moots employees Friday, Whittington called his purchase of Moots “serendipitous.”

About a year ago, he left the corporate world when he stepped down as COO of Windstream Holdings, Inc. a Fortune 500 telecommunications company.

Outside the Moots factory Friday, Whittington said he didn’t want to go the traditional route of jumping back into a corporate job.

“I was looking for something more fulfilling,” Whittington said.

Whittington bought Moots from longtime owner Chris Miller.

“I’m very pleased to pass the Moots torch to an individual who possesses both a true love of cycling and a great depth of business experience,” Miller said in a news release. “Brent embodies everything we were looking for in the new Moots owner. The energy, skill set and business experiences he’ll bring to Moots will continue to keep Moots a strong industry brand and certainly signifies a bright future for the company.”

Moots Cycles was founded in Steamboat in 1981.

To reach Scott Franz, call 970-871-4210, email scottfranz@SteamboatToday.com or follow him on Twitter @ScottFranz10


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