Friends, it’s with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our president, John Black, on Tuesday, November 15th after a 2 year battle with glioblastoma. John Black’s passion for cycling began at a young age and after years working at a local bicycle shop in Grand Rapids, John partnered with his brother, Tom, to begin distributing Velocity products here in the United States. John’s personal touch and his belief in the value of providing honest, committed service quickly became a cornerstone of the company. He was instrumental in helping to continue to innovate and expand Velocity’s product offerings while also guiding Velocity’s transition to producing rims here in the United States. Not many people knew that John had been battling cancer for the past two years outside of the company. He fought it courageously, and was at work answering the phones and taking customer orders as often as he could – always saying “Guys, I’m going to beat this.” Though his body was unable to beat the cancer, he certainly did in spirit. It is with that spirit Velocity USA goes on with Tom Black continuing to head up our factory operations and assuming the role of president of Velocity, and John’s wife Linda and General Manager Matt Ruiter continuing to handle the day to day operations. John bestowed the title “Titan of Industry” fondly on his favorite long-time customers, and we believe it is safe to say the industry lost one this week. John believed that supporting cycling at the grassroots level was always the best way to make positive change. In his honor please consider a donation to your favorite cycling group or the American Cancer Society in lieu of flowers. via Instagram http://ift.tt/2g5dMPZ
