Indiana Rep Hails $19M Bike Plant as Trump Tariffs Spark Manufacturing Comeback

Big news for American manufacturing: Indiana is getting a hefty $19 million investment thanks to Guardian Bikes, who are opening a new plant in Seymour and promising a fresh batch of local jobs. Rep. Erin Houchin is giving major credit to President Trump’s tough tariff stance on China for making this possible.

Houchin said Guardian Bikes is now set to expand its operations, keeping more money and job opportunities in southern Indiana instead of sending them overseas. The Republican lawmaker recalled visiting Guardian Bikes early in her congressional term, when the company had just 16 employees and a big dream: to build all-American bicycles in a market where over 97% of bikes come from abroad, mostly using Chinese parts.

The company used to rely on China for about 70% of its production, but since Trump’s election in November 2024, they’ve been working to shift everything stateside. The real kicker? Guardian Bikes just secured $19 million in financing from JPMorgan Chase to launch what’s being called the first large-scale bicycle frame manufacturing operation in the US.

Houchin believes this is a direct win from Trump’s trade policies, saying the president is finally leveling the playing field for American businesses. Guardian Bikes hopes to boost its US-made bikes from 100,000 to over one million—a pretty wild leap for US manufacturing.

The company already has locations in California and Pennsylvania, with plans for new sites in Texas and Georgia this year. Their website proudly broadcasts their plans to manufacture bike frames in Indiana and go all-in on "Made in the USA" status.

Guardian Bikes CEO Brian Riley described the move as more than just making bikes: it’s about creating a new model for American manufacturing that’s "local, fast, and data-driven." Seymour, Indiana, apparently has the magic combo of workforce, infrastructure, and customer proximity to make the dream work.

Of course, not everyone’s popping champagne. Critics argue Trump’s tariffs risk upending the global economy, while supporters see them as a necessary power move to keep jobs on American soil. Trump’s signature trade policy includes a 10% tariff on all imports, but a much steeper 145% tariff is now slapped on goods from Beijing to cut back on US reliance on Chinese manufacturing.

The White House doubled down on the strategy, with spokesman Kush Desai saying that massive industry investments—now including Guardian Bikes—prove Trump’s point: make it in America, and tariffs won’t keep you up at night.