Corratec Goes Europe

RAUBLING, Germany (August 24) - To become "The first real European bicycle brand", German Iko-Corratec announced three big changes: First of all they founded and opened Iko Europe GmbH based in nearby Salzburg/Austria. This European sales office will concentrate "on European Corratec sales outside of the German-speaking market". Secondly end of this year they will open a 3,500 square meter Corratec flagship store named "Iko Bike & Mountain World" on the outskirts of Salzburg. With this project the company will push their Austrian market sales, a difficult market "that is mainly in the hands of a few very large sporting goods chain store suppliers". And thirdly they took over the traditional Italian bicycle brand Sannino. Sannino was once one of the first exclusive distribution brands of Iko in Germany. Now after a 22 year partnership Mauro Sannino works from the Iko headquarters in Raubling. He will be responsible for the first hand-build frame-production of Corratec, something that according to Iko-Corratec boss Konrad Irlbacher "is almost gone in Europe". First Sannino's hand-build frame production in Germany will focus on high-end individual carbon roadbikes. Yearly production of these custom-made bikes is forecasted between 300 and 400 units. Italian Dedacciai makes the carbon tubes and joints that is used in the Sannino frames.(JB)