TESSENDERLO, Belgium - The delivery problems at Shimano Benelux have arisen since warehousing and distribution was outsourced to logistics service provider Kühne+Nagel in 2023. Although Shimano did not give any reasons for the delivery problem, sources indicate that the 'mismatch' between both IT systems is the main cause of the problems.
LONDON, UK - Existing tariffs on e-bikes imported into the UK from China range from 18.8% to 79.3%. These measures were transitioned when the UK left the EU following Brexit. Following a period of investigation the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) has now deemed that keeping anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures on Chinese e-bikes "would not be in economic interest of the UK" and should be revoked.
MAINZ, Germany - For reasons of efficiency, Pon has decided to relocate the European production of Santa Cruz & Cervélo to the existing facility of Pon Bike in Emstek, Germany. The production in Mainz will be discontinued from April 2025. This was reported by the platform MTB-news.de.
GÜTERSLOH, Germany - Another well-known traditional company in the German bicycle industry is facing financial difficulties that can't be solved by themselves anymore. Both Sprick Cycle GmbH and its parent company Sprick Holding GmbH filed for provisional insolvency on 27 December, according to an announcement of the insolvency court.
TAICHUNG, Taiwan - In an attempt to improve the financial situation, bicycle manufacturers massively tried to lower their inventory levels even when it came with huge discounting. Giant Group managed to mitigate its decline in turnover to 7.4% as the company's 2024 monthly revenue report shows. This is compared with a decrease of 16.4% in 2023.
TAICHUNG, Taiwan - Any frequent visitor of bicycle industry factories in Taiwan, has seen that a lot of the workers come from countries like Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand or Indonesia. Often the signing in the factories is multi-lingual to facilitate the foreign workers. In a recent publication, LeMonde Diplomatique reports that they have found indicators of forced labour according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), particularly in the Taiwan bicycle industry.
BUNNIK, the Netherlands - Klever Mobility has centralised its European organisation in its existing office in the Netherlands. The company reports that this strategic decision will enable them to operate more efficiently and provide better service to dealers and customers in Germany and Switzerland. As part of the reorganisation, the office in Cologne, Germany will be closed soon.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark - The Danish bike sector is steadily growing these days, thanks to the ever-growing demand for e-bikes and the country's emphasis on living an active, health-conscious lifestyle.
ROTORUA, New Zealand - "The digitalisation of the bicycle industry requires clear and uniform data structures," says Lars Röttger, managing director of Bidex GmbH. That's the reasoning behind Bidex's recently announced partnership with New Zealand company Bike Matrix, according to the company's press release.
BINH DUONG, Vietnam - In the last decade, few Southeast Asian countries have seen manufacturing growth in the cycling industry the way that Vietnam has. Bolstered by favourable foreign policy and a booming national economy, Vietnam's bicycle manufacturing sector is experiencing a growth spurt — but how sustainable this is in the midst of a shifting market, only time will tell.
ROMILLY SUR SEINE, France - The operation of Cycleurope Group and Grimaldi Industri AB in France will be taken-over by the Rebirth Holding SAS as of 7 October. In a short announcement Cycleurope reports the transfer of 100% ownership to Rebirth Holding SAS for an undisclosed amount.
OBERWANGEN, Switzerland - After 11 years at Stromer, co-CEO Tomi Viiala has decided to step back from the operational business and leave the company. The reason given is to "spend more time with his family, who live in Finland." Viiala will remain a shareholder of Stromer.
DHAKA, Bangladesh - A growing number of suppliers of bicycles and various components to the European market have recently invested in production in Bangladesh. The country is already home to a few key global bicycle joint ventures. Now other Asian suppliers to Europe are also investing into production facilities considering low cost of production like low labor costs and duty exemptions for exports to Europe.
DHAKA, Bangladesh - Known as a manufacturer of textiles, garments, lingerie and chemicals, Panam Group diversified into the production of bicycles a year ago. The company is keen to expand into newer sectors and found bicycle production and its exports a potential area thanks to the favourable duty structure for Bangladesh-based bicycle exporters to the European Union (EU).
VIENNA, Austria - Children and youth bike manufacturer Woom has appointed Bernd Hake as CEO. He succeeds Paul Fattinger, who is leaving by mutual agreement after three years in charge. According to the company, the change in management is a further step in its development from a start-up to an established international brand.
ROSSANO VENETO, Italy - Performance brand Wilier Triestina is adding to its expansion strategy in the Asian market. Youn Live, a Taiwanese company with which Wilier has worked for many years as a client and which was fully acquired in 2021, is being transformed into a strategic and logistical hub, becoming the centre of the brand's development in Asia and Oceania.
PALENCIA, Spain - Mahle SmartBike Systems has unveiled XS, its latest e-bike integration system aimed at delivering 'unprecedented freedom' in bicycle design. The XS system was created to simplify the integration process for bike manufacturers and features downsized components that reduce its environmental impact.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - The presentation of the manifesto for the EU term 2024-2029 by industry confederation CONEBI in Brussels last week, gave the cycling industry the opportunity to discuss the agenda with European institutions for the next five years. Hosted by EU member of parliament Thomas Pellerin-Carlin, the industry representatives and the EU Commission discussed plans and projects to come to reality.
WELS, Austria - Pierer Mobility AG, the owner of bicycle and e-bike brands Husqvarna, GasGas and Felt has announced that it will apply for debtor-in-possession restructuring proceedings for its motorcycle subsidiary KTM AG on Friday. KTM AG's financing requirements are "currently in the high three-digit million euro range."
TAICHUNG, Taiwan - In recognition of its ESG activities, Giant Group has joined the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) Emerging Markets Index, making it the first company in the bicycle industry to have this distinction.
