Bianchi Turkey Acquires Atala

MANISA, Turkey (June 2) - Bianchi Bisiklet San.ve. Tic. A.S. in Turkey has taken over Atala in Italy. The company paid € 4 million for the Italian brand-name, dealer-network and stock. Bianchi Turkey will use the Atala brand for stepping up its export to the European Union. The company will produce the Atala bikes in Turkey and export them to the EU where they can be imported duty free thanks to EUR. 1 Certification. "Because we are only able to use the Bianchi brand-name on our home market, the take over of the Atala brand is very important for us," says Bianchi Bisiklet President Ovadya Sarda. Bianchi Turkey is completely independent from Bianchi Italy which is owned by Cycleurope. "With the Atala brand name, with the production here in Turkey and the duty free import into the EU, we are able to be very competitive not only in Italy by also in various other European countries," continued Sarda. Atala SpA located in Padova, Italy was already for some years in financial troubles which caused the ceasing of the production in Italy. Currently the company sells about 200,000 outsourced bikes per year in Italy which are sold through a sales & service organization with a staff of 56 people. They will hold on to their jobs as Bianchi Bisiklet will continue the Atala base in Padova. Bianchi Bisiklet has a modern facility in Manisa Turkey that has a yearly production of about 350,000 bikes with 340 employees. The manor part of its production (250,000 units) is exported. Yearly turnover of Bianchi Bisiklet is about € 35 million. (JO) .