1983 and before that they were a sort of boutique company. Perhaps a bit like the American version of Bob Jackson. They made a range of stuff but were most known for their touring frames and bikes. In 1984 they went more mass market in an attempt to compete with Univega, Peugeot, Raleigh, Fuji, Nishiki, etc. I remember the spiel from the sales rep at my LBS. I guess it worked cuz we picked up the line. They were a good value then and still made in USA.

The history and various models are pretty well documented on the web, IIRC.