SEATTLE — This story was originally posted on MyNorthwest.com
The Seattle-based electronic bicycle company, Rad Power Bikes, faces a potential closure as the company submitted a preemptive Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) on Friday to lay off several employees and close two Ballard locations.
The WARN submission revealed that 64 employees would be affected by the closure, with a projected layoff start date of January 9, 2026.
Both of the company’s Ballard locations at 1121 N.W. 52nd Street and 1128 N.W. 52nd Street would be shut down in the event of a closure.
A Rad Power Bikes spokesperson noted via email that a final decision has not been made on the closure, and the company’s leadership is considering several routes to keep the company alive, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal.
Rad Power points to tariffs, post-pandemic sales slump as cause for closure
In a message sent to all Rad Power employees, the company claimed tariffs and a post-pandemic downturn in e-bike sales have contributed to the potential closure.
Additionally, the note stated that Rad Power has entertained other options to avoid closure, such as a potential sale of the company or financing.
“Leadership is still working to find other viable options to keep the Rad brand alive,” the note read, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal. “Executive leaders are hopeful that a viable solution will be found to ensure that Rad team members remain gainfully employed for the foreseeable future. However, to be fully transparent, despite our collective efforts, it is possible that this may not happen, and Rad may be forced to cease operations.”
Rad Power Bikes was founded by Mike Radenbaugh in 2007 and has since provided bikes to more than 650,000 riders. Radenbaugh began his career in the e-bike market by inventing “The Frankenbike,” a bicycle he created as a teenager to take on a 15-mile ride to his high school.
After selling his e-bikes at local craft fairs and through newspaper ads, Radenbaugh teamed up with a childhood friend, Ty Collins, and raised $320,000 to build the company’s first e-bike, the “RadRover.” Rad Power currently has a partnership with Domino’s Pizza to supply its e-bikes to delivery workers nationwide.
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