The many industries that make up the world of freight have undergone tremendous change over the past several decades. Each Friday, FreightWaves explores the archives of American Shipper’s nearly 70-year-old collection of shipping and maritime publications to showcase interesting freight stories of long ago.
The following is an excerpt from the August 1965 edition of the Jacksonville Seafarer.
Jacksonville firm plays major role in motorcycle import boom
The largest single shipment of motorcycles going through the Port of Jacksonville to this date, arrived aboard the cargo-liner “Laomedon” at Commodore’s Point June 21.
The Blue Sea Line vessel left Shimizu, Japan, May 14 with the 1,538 Suzuki motorcycles which were scheduled for distribution throughout the eastern United States by Jacksonville based Suzuki East, division of U.S. Suzuki Motor Corporation.
Strachan Shipping Company, operators of Commodore’s Point Terminals, serve as Jacksonville agents for Blue Sea Line, which operates a fleet of round-the-world ships making twice monthly trips for Blue Sea between Japan and Jacksonville, in the only regularly scheduled service between these points.
Suzuki East, one-year-old last February, supplies over 650 dealers spread throughout 38 eastern states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and South America.
It is a division of U.S. Suzuki Motor Corporation which has two other warehouse-distribution points in the U.S. — one near its home office in Santa Ana, California, and the other in Portland, Oregon.
In response to a boom in light-weight motorcycle sales in the Great Lakes area, U.S. Suzuki has recently completed a warehouse in Chicago which will serve much of the area presently under Suzuki East.
The result will be to limit the Florida firms’ distribution area to seven or eight southern states, the Caribbean and the Latin Americas.
It was the sudden and continuing surge in the lightweight motorcycle market in America a few years ago that led Japan’s Suzuki Motor Company, Ltd., to establish U. S. Suzuki in 1963.
LeRoy Potter, Southeastern District Manager for U.S. Suzuki, places Suzuki East sales at “around 11,000 units in 1964.”
He predicts this figure will jump to 33,000 for the same 38 state area in 1965 and will peak-out at about 82,000 for 1966 when U.S. demand is expected to level off.
Potter, whose home-base is Chapel Hill, North Carolina, envisions 2,000 Suzuki dealers within the territorial United States by the time this peak is reached.
He gave three reasons for Suzuki’s success in the U.S.:
- Economy of operation characteristic of light-weight motorcycles.
- “New concept of family fun” associated with light-weight models in place of the “black leather jacket” image evoked by the heavier cycles.
- “Japanese engineering and quality control which has contributed greatly to the dependability of these machines.”
Potter said Suzuki is the second-largest seller internationally and hopes to capture third place in the U.S. lightweight motorcycle sales by 1966.
U.S. Suzuki first made inroads into the American lightweight market in California and Florida and then moved up the west coast and penetrated the Southeast. Having recently developed New England, they are now experiencing a boom in the Great Lakes Area.
The company was formed in 1909 in Japan by Michio Suzuki. It was originally known as Suzuki Loom Works and was reorganized in 1920 into the Suzuki Loom Mfg. Co., Ltd.
In 1952, a recession in the textile industry caused a drastic change in the character of the business. A bike motor was developed and placed on sale.
In June 1954, the company name was changed to Suzuki Motor Co., Ltd., indicating a complete commitment to the manufacture of motorcycles.
In 1957, Michio Suzuki was replaced by the present president, Shunzo Suzuki. A modernization program was begun at this time which included company-sponsored participation in motorcycle racing around the world. Suzuki holds many world titles in racing.
Suzuki’s capital assets in 1964 were ¥4,500,000 yen (Equivalent to $12,500,000) and the company’s stock issue totaled 90,000,000 shares. The head office is in Shizuoka, Japan. Branch offices are located in Brussels, Santa Ana and Singapore.
President of Jacksonville-based Suzuki East is Robert King, who also heads Florida Cycle Supply, another Jacksonville firm.
Suzuki East is divided into two major departments. Bob Richards is the manager of the Motorcycle Department while O. H. Kennedy heads the Parts Department.
You may also like:
FreightWaves Flashback 1957: Great Southern on Piggy-Back
FreightWaves Flashback 1960: “Walk-Through” Containers Give Maximum Flexibility
FreightWaves Flashback 1982: New container box stacker for Jax Port is state of the art
