Nicole Johnson and her husband Boyd moved to Greenville because the weather and terrain were an ideal mix for professional cyclists. They stayed because they built a great life and found the resources to grow a successful business with a young daughter along for the ride.

Passion, grit, and determination helped the couple excel, first in cycling and now in business. Paired with their unflinching optimism and a lot of local support, Boyd Cycling is expanding and thriving in Greenville.

Nicole Johnson: Building More Than a Cycling Company

Entrepreneurship wasn’t part of Nicole Johnson’s original plan.

Before co-founding Boyd Cycling, she was working in corporate America and pursuing a more traditional career path. But after meeting her future husband and business partner, Boyd Johnson, the pair saw an opportunity to build something of their own around a shared passion for cycling.

What started as a side business quickly became a full-time pursuit.

Founded in Greenville in 2009, Boyd Cycling entered a crowded market with a simple goal: create high-performance bicycle wheels without the markups and inefficiencies common throughout the industry. The company built a loyal customer base by focusing on quality, direct customer relationships, and a willingness to challenge industry norms.

For Nicole, however, entrepreneurship was never just about selling a product. It was about learning how to solve increasingly complex problems.

As Boyd Cycling grew, so did the challenges. Supply chain disruptions during the pandemic exposed vulnerabilities that many manufacturers faced, particularly those relying heavily on overseas production. Rather than accepting those limitations, Nicole and the team saw an opportunity.

That opportunity led to the creation of Olive Manufacturing Group, a South Carolina-based manufacturing operation focused on producing aluminum bicycle rims domestically. The move represented a significant shift from simply designing products to actively reshaping how they were made.

The company’s ambitions didn’t stop there.

In 2024, Boyd Cycling and its partners acquired Munich Composites, a German company known for its innovative braided carbon fiber technology. The acquisition brought advanced carbon fiber manufacturing capabilities to the Upstate and established a new chapter for the business. Today, operations in South Carolina support both aluminum and carbon fiber production, positioning the company as a leader in domestic bicycle wheel manufacturing.

Throughout the journey, Nicole has remained focused on building sustainable businesses, creating jobs, and investing in the local manufacturing ecosystem.

In 2026, she led the company through its next phase of growth while continuing to expand its manufacturing footprint through Olive Manufacturing Group and Munich Composites SC.

For Nicole, entrepreneurship has never been about following a predetermined path. It’s been about recognizing opportunities, embracing change, and building the capabilities needed to solve the next challenge.

That mindset has helped transform a Greenville startup into a company that is not only producing world-class cycling products, but also helping demonstrate what advanced manufacturing can look like in South Carolina.