Company Update

August 23 - 25, 2024

Zidell Yards

Portland, Oregon, USA

We will have a booth at MADE and would love to see you there! And for those of you who are exhibiting, we are offering a show discount on all our frame building components.

Terms and Conditions:

1) 50+ pricing on all products

2) Products must be used on a bicycle that will be displayed in a booth at MADE

3) One order per customer

4) No returns or exchanges

5) Offer expires July 31st, 2024

6) E-mail order ONLY to orders[at]paragonmachineworks.com

We respectfully request that you post photos of your build on social media and tag us.

We will be CLOSED on Monday, May 27th in honor of Memorial Day. In addition to remembering and honoring those who have served and still serve our country, please remember to order in advance!

Left to Right:  Riding the Biz Johnson Trail, Mark's induction into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, road trip to Crater Lake

From Mark Norstad

To all our friends and customers,

I started Paragon Machine Works over 40 years ago, with no idea of how it would work.  My immediate goal was to earn enough to live and make the payments on my machinery.  Through a combination of hard work and dumb luck, the business succeeded.

From a tiny space in my parents’ basement, to a shared 900 square foot shop, to a rented 2700 square foot space and finally to an 8000 square foot building that was purchased, the business grew.  Machinery was all manual to start.  The first CNC machine was a 2-axis lathe in 1987.  2 CNC mills followed in 1993.

It has been a wonderful journey, at times slow, and at other times so fast it was hard to keep up.  Money was tight, and sometimes it poured in.  Throughout the cyclical nature of business, I’m happy to say I would not trade it for a different career path.  I consider myself fortunate to have combined two things I’ve always been passionate about, bicycles and machine work.  The ability to earn a living has been a bonus.  I could not have done this without the support of our employees, our customers, my family, and most importantly, my wife Donna.

I am proud and satisfied with what I have accomplished.  Paragon Machine Works is a solid manufacturing company with an excellent customer base.  To continue this, I am stepping down and letting the next generation take over.

I’m happy to announce that our son Calvin is taking over the business as of January 1, 2024.  I will remain available on a part-time and consultation basis.  The business will continue to support framebuilders both domestic and international.  Innovation and timely development of new components remains primary.

My heartfelt thanks to all who have contributed,

Mark Norstad

Founder of Paragon Machine Works

From Calvin Norstad

A Letter to You:  Our Customer

It is with great excitement, and a certain degree of nervous anticipation, that I begin the final stages of taking over leadership of Paragon Machine Works, Inc. It has been a long journey, a lifetime, of familiarizing myself with the business and the space in which it rests.

Mark has been a leader in the custom frame building industry for over 40 years, and as happy and healthy as he is, he is ready for a promotion to the role of part-time consultant and full-time bike packer.

It was not always cut and dry that I would assume the role of my father. I pursued my passion of rowing in high school and mechanical engineering with a minor in mathematics at Northeastern University. I did not feel that Paragon was for me. After all, pressing buttons was boring. However, due to the pandemic, I was sent home with my summer internship in Boston canceled. I had no option but to pursue a job at Paragon. Lo and behold, it led me to where I am now. 

Come to find out, working at Paragon wasn’t boring. In fact, it was fun, and quite rewarding. I committed myself to learning the business: machining, design, organization, and customer/industry relations that has allowed Paragon to provide the best products it can. I am confident that I have risen to the challenge and am ready for this next step in my life.

I understand that it is unusual for someone at the age of 23, someone so fresh in this industry, to take on a leadership role like this. Yet having frequented the building since I was six, and working here since thirteen, I have learned that it is what you do with your knowledge, not how much you have, that counts. Rest assured; we have a great group of machinists, designers, and operators alike at Paragon, not to mention our industry leading customer service and shipping department. Mark will continue to operate as a consultant, Donna will stay full-time for the foreseeable future, and I will continue to learn. I only ask that you work with me.

Paragon is thriving after 40 years of dedicated work from Mark, Donna, and all our employees, past and present. I hope to continue the trend of excellence and innovation that has been so key to Paragon’s success and longevity. We will continue to be here for you, the frame builders, and consumers alike.

So, here’s to the future. To the continuation of US manufacturing, small businesses, and family businesses. To the custom frame-building industry, bicycle trade shows, and so much more. And most importantly, thank you. I would and could not be here otherwise.

Best regards,

Calvin Norstad

Owner and CEO, Paragon Machine Works