Minden scooter firm sues overseas competitors

A Carson Valley scooter company is suing more than a dozen Pacific Rim manufacturers for unfair trade practices.

Patmont Motor Werks builds the Go-Ped scooter at its Minden plant, employing 70 people, according to company executive vice president Tim Patmont, the son of Go-Ped's inventor.

A federal lawsuit was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Reno claiming Chinese, Taiwanese and Korean countries were selling scooters in the United States for less than it costs to make them.

"We are suing a bunch of companies that are basically dumping similar products to what we make right in Nevada," he said.

The company recently moved its manufacturing plant to the Meridian Business Park near the Tahoe-Douglas Airport. Steven J. Patmont invented the Go-Ped in 1985 in his garage.

Go-Ped lists its suggested retail prices at $580-$600 for popular models. Web sites advertising Chinese-made scooters were showing prices $100 to $200 lower.

"Chinese exporters can unload their products on the American market with no duty or tax, but heavy duties and other taxes prevent businesses like ours from selling products to Chinese consumers," the company chief executive officer said.

"This suit does more than try to protect one company such as my family's, as American consumers are at risk when unsafe, low-quality foreign-manufactured products with terrible safety records are allowed free entry into the country."

Tim Patmont agreed, saying it appeared the Chinese manufacturers were trying to drive the company out of business.

"They're shipping low-cost Chinese scooters into the country, selling them for below the cost of the materials because they are being subsidized by the Chinese government to kill off the competition," he said. "For many years, we were the only company making them. We are talking about a potential loss of American jobs and the loss of an American brand."

The lawsuit seeks to remove legal trade barriers that prevent U.S. goods from being sold in China and to protect the patents, trademarks and copyrights of the company from copying by the overseas scooter manufacturers.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, is the lead attorney in the lawsuit. William D. McCann is the general counsel.

Patmont Motor Werks officially opened its Minden plant in January. The company has offices in California, but its long-term plan is to move the entire company into Carson Valley.

Contact Kurt Hildebrand at hildebrand@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1215.