Paragon Machine Works sold to Firsthand Framebuilding

Just shy of two months after Paragon Machine Works’ shock announcement that it was closing up shop, the iconic U.S. manufacturer of components widely used for custom frame building has a new owner. Portland, Oregon’s Firsthand Framebuilding has purchased the entirety of PMW’s intellectual property and assets.

While the name Paragon may not be as widely known outside the world of custom bikes, it was a core part of nearly every North American custom frame builder’s business, and its parts are quietly part of a huge percentage of custom bikes on the roads and trails. From dropouts to BB shells, headtubes, any part of the bike that needed highly specific machining beyond just tubes, Paragon supplied it. That made Paragon, over more than four decades of operation, a core part of the North American custom bike culture and economy.

Firsthand opens future for Paragon legacy

Now, Firsthand Framebuilding has acquired Paragon to try continue that legacy. The purchase includes IP as well as, apparently, a good portion of the tooling required to make Paragon’s vast inventory of highly specific parts and also most of what remains of Paragon’s inventory.

“We’re proud of the legacy we’ve created at Paragon Machine Works. Transitions are never easy, but working with Firsthand to secure Paragon’s future has been a dream come true,” Paragon’s past owners, the Norstad family said in a press release. “To see the product line not only carried on, but by a company that is truly investing in the future of framebuilding is more than we could have hoped for. We’re thankful for our customers’ support during the last 43 years, and we’re delighted that the Paragon product line will live on.”

Firsthand Framebuilding was a Paragon dealer and, as  the North American distributor for Reynolds tubing, already quite involved in the custom bike world. The Portland business is also in the process of opening a frame building school.

 “Like so many, I’ve long admired Paragon. The Norstads and their staff have supported the framebuilding community for decades,” Firstand’s owner says in the press release announcing the sale. “I am humbled that they have put their faith in me and Firsthand to uphold and carry forward their substantial legacy. In the coming weeks, we will be contacting Paragon’s customers regarding our plans, product ordering, and timelines.”

Not Paragon as it was

Blandford is up front that things will be different going…