Matt O'Keefe: Industry Lifer

Biography

"I have been into bicycles my whole life, I can't think of a better place to be. We are doing what some bike industry insiders said was not possible."

I've been in the bicycle industry for 25 years. That's 64% of my life—you do the math. I think of myself as a bike industry major, and a photography minor.

At the start of my career, I worked as a mechanic in a local bike shop to support my BMX habit. Later, I landed a sweet job at Merlin Metalworks—this is where my life in the bike industry really began. At Merlin, I learned finishing, fabrication, customer service, and management skills.

Being asked by Rob Vandermark to be part of the founding team at Seven was an honor, and has been a highlight of my career. As a start-up, we all did a little or a lot of everything. Early on, my role was more focused on fabrication and designing customers' bikes. As Seven grew, I started to manage people. My role at Seven shifted toward production management and process improvement, which is still my focus today.

Bicycles have played a big role in my life, from modifying Schwinn Stingrays in the 1970's, to epic rides with my wife on our Seven tandem. I have raced BMX, road, and mountain bikes.

Through my work in the industry, I have been fortunate enough to travel and ride a lot of the mountain bike hot spots around the country. My cycling today consists of my 18-mile round trip, daily commute, and as much technical trail riding as I can fit into my schedule. A mountain bike race here and there is also something I like to do, just for kicks.

I try to make at least one trip per year for tandem bike riding. In the past couple of years, my wife and I have traveled to Australia and Chile.