TAIPEI: King Liu, the founder of Taiwanese bicycle maker Giant and a self-described “missionary” for cycling culture, died on Monday (Feb 16) at the age of 91, the company said.
Liu started Giant in 1972 in his hometown of Taichung, a manufacturing hub in central Taiwan, making bikes for overseas brands before the company got its own label in 1981.
Giant is now one of the biggest bicycle makers in the world, pulling in more than US$2 billion in sales a year and selling millions of bikes annually.
Liu “passed away peacefully” early on Monday, Giant Group said in a statement, describing him as a “lifelong advocate” for pedal power.
“Throughout his life, Mr Liu devoted himself to bicycles, believing they represented not merely a business, but a meaningful way of life,” Giant said.
Born into a well-off family in central Taiwan on Jul 2, 1934, Liu worked briefly in his father’s trading and food manufacturing company but was soon itching to branch out on his own.
He dabbled in a range of businesses, including trucking cargo, importing fish feed and even farming eels.
His venture into cycling came at a friend’s suggestion during a brainstorming session to tap into the US market.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/king-liu-taiwan-bicycle-maker-giant-dies-91-5934571
