Urban Mobility Gear Innovator Chrome Industries Opens Doors To New Minneapolis Retail HUB

Chrome Industries©

Neighborhood's Local Cycling History is Enhanced with Access to Chrome's Portfolio of Resourceful Urban Products 

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 5, 2014 -- Chrome Industries (www.chromeindustries.com), the original maker of "bombproof gear" for living and riding the city, announced today the opening of its new retail store in the North Loop of Minneapolis located at 115 Washington Ave. N, Minneapolis, Minn. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141104/156613LOGO With a celebratory Grand Opening party scheduled for Nov. 15, 2014, the company notes that its doors are now open for residents to pop in, talk with staff and learn more about the newest neighbor that works to inspire bike, skate, and motor fans, as well as artists and musicians within the community.

Chrome HUBS offer a unique experience within each city as the store is built out to embrace local culture and regional style. The engaging showrooms comprise of a resourceful yet simple design that gives customers the freedom to shop, relax and interact with the staff while indulging in cycling culture or providing design details for their own customized Chrome bag, which are hand-crafted at the Chrome Custom Sewing bar.

Chrome Industries' roots in Minneapolis stem from a long-standing relationship with the retail location's previous tenants, Handsome Cycles. Since 2013, Chrome offered Handsome's customers a display that featured a full product line that promoted hands-on interaction with Chrome products. Upon learning that Handsome Cycles was vacating its current North Loop location, Chrome seized the opportunity to takeover the space and will continue to provide products and services for the city's dedicated cyclists and urban creatives.

"Minneapolis is consistently thought of as one of the best cycling cities in the country. For more than twenty years we've built solid relationships here with local independent bike dealers that we will continue to service and support. It's a natural progression for Chrome to move into the city and offer the full HUB experience for Minneapolis' cycling culture - it just feels right." states president of Chrome, Christopher Silverman. "We're thrilled to offer a greater brand experience that is visible through the DIY ethos of our brand's design, partnered with our staff who live and breathe bike culture, and share their passion with our customers while introducing them to all of the unique experiences and engaging culture found only within Chrome HUBS."

The Minneapolis Chrome HUB will combine a part retail, part factory design with a dedicated entertainment space to accommodate events that surround art, music and community. The experiential-based showroom pays homage to the brand's resourceful history of crafting both products and storefronts from salvaged materials, hardware and fixtures. The HUB's interior is all recycled from Chrome's 2014 Interbike tradeshow booth.

Additional design features include reclaimed scrap yard scaffolding, 1940's lighting discovered in an upstate NY factory and seats refurbished from the lounge of the University of Minnesota. Chrome also reconfigured an old dry cleaner conveyer to function within the retail space as a product showcase, and a reclaimed Douglass Fir shipping crate is part of the Custom bag-making bar.

Minneapolis now joins the roster of Chrome Retail HUBS located in San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Portland, and Seattle. Each city's HUBS are transformed into unique and original showrooms that serve as gathering places for the region's makers, creatives and those seeking the gear they need for living the city.

Ashley Bruha, a local favorite who previously worked at The Alt bike shop in Minneapolis, will manage the Minneapolis HUB. Bruha holds a degree in apparel technology and is deeply embedded in the local bike culture, design and community. Rachael Dye will join Chrome Industries as the HUB seamstress and manage the store's Customization program, whose focal point is the Custom Sewing bar.

For more information about Chrome Industries, or the Minneapolis store opening, please contact rob@echoscomm.com

About Chrome Industries:

Chrome Industries is a privately held maker of bombproof gear for living the city. For nearly 20 years, the San Francisco-based company has designed and manufactured American-made gear from company owned and operated factories. With a passion for its community, Chrome retail HUBS engage community makers through local events, while also offering consumers a chance to build a custom bag at a Chrome Custom Sewing Station, discover new music, watch videos and exclusive screenings.

For more information on Chrome, its products and the Chrome lifestyle, visit www.chromeindustries.com.

SOURCE Chrome Industries (PRNewswire) By press release©