– doubling down on the U.S. market at a time most brands are pulling back
Founded in 1999, acros has been engineering precision bearing components for the world's leading bike brands – Canyon, Scott, Giant, Cannondale, Colnago and dozens more. This appointment marks the German specialist's most significant commitment to North American riders yet.
acros sport GmbH, the German precision bearing specialist behind the headsets on some of the world's most widely ridden bicycles, has appointed Jason Schiers as Head of North America. Schiers – founder of ENVE Composites, formerly of Reynolds and Crankbrothers and General Manager of GT Bikes – will lead the company's U.S. and Canada business from its California base, building the operation from the ground up, hands-on.
This move marks a significant step for a brand that has been quietly spec'd on bikes sold in North America for years, while remaining largely unknown to the riders who depend on it.The right person for a market that needs re-introduction For acros, North America represents both an opportunity and a perception challenge. The brand carries deep credibility with bike manufacturers – its client list includes Canyon, YT Industries, Propain, Giant, Colnago and Cannondale, among many others – but consumer awareness has lagged that OEM standing. Schiers, who knows what it takes to build a component brand from the inside out, recognizes this.
"In North America, acros might be the most overlooked European brand in cycling. Their internal manufacturing depth is rare in this industry and a huge asset. They're genuinely concerned about the user’s experience, not just the product itself but also coming up with innovative solutions for industry partners and customers. This for me is where the opportunity becomes exciting and unique to acros."
Schiers will run all North American operations, building dealer and brand relationships directly in the market and feeding insights back to the acros headquarters in Stuttgart.
The mandate is clear: build the North American business in a way that fits how the market works, rather than assuming the European model translates.
Founded in engineering, not sourcing
acros was founded in 1999 as a sister company to an industrial bearing manufacturer and has remained founder-owned and led under Frank Weidner ever since. Its headquarters in the Stuttgart region – Germany's engineering heartland, home to Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Bosch, Pinion and Magura – is not incidental. The company employs twelve engineers dedicated to headsets and bearings alone.
That depth shows in how acros approaches product development. Rather than selecting off-the-shelf bearings and packaging them, the company engineers each component of a headset system – bearing geometry, clearance tolerances, grease specification, and seal design – for the specific demands of bicycle use. For frame manufacturers, acros functions as a development partner, not a parts supplier.
Together with its sister company, acros also operates a full industrial bearing manufacturing division at its German headquarters, covering the entire production chain from raw material to finished product – a rare standard in the cycling industry and in any manufacturing sector.
The North America product range covers headsets and bottom brackets as the core focus, with pedals, cockpits, and hubs – the latter manufactured in-house in Germany – also available. Wheelsets will not be offered in the initial phase.A commitment that runs counter to the market acros has long been close to the North American market, fulfilling orders from its German warehouse while building relationships with the OEM partners whose bikes carry acros components across the continent. But shipping from Europe was always a temporary solution to a permanent ambition: to be as close to North American riders as the brand already is to European ones – and to deliver the same quality of experience on both sides of the Atlantic.
When recent changes to the U.S. trade environment made it increasingly difficult to maintain that standard from overseas, the answer was straightforward: accelerate a move that was already in the making. While most brands are treating the current climate as a reason to pull back, acros is treating it as a reason to show up.
"This is a big investment at a time when most brands are pulling out of markets and scaling back," said Frank Weidner, founder and CEO of acros. "We think there's a real gap in the market for purpose-engineered bearing products that meet riders where they are – not the next halo product with a price tag of a used bike. Making this move now only makes sense if you have the right reasons. We believe we do, and we believe Jason is the right person to build that future with us."
The California-based office handles sales, distribution, and customer service for both consumers and dealers across the U.S. and Canada through the acros online shop, which has been operational for several months. Distribution and Sales Rep partnerships will be evaluated and announced as the business develops.
About acros
Founded in 1999 and headquartered in the Stuttgart region of Germany, acros sport GmbH, the company behind the acros brand, is a founder-owned precision bearing specialist for the bicycle industry. The company designs and manufactures headsets, bottom brackets, hubs, and related components. acros products are spec'd by leading bicycle brands globally, including Canyon, YT Industries, Giant, Colnago and Cannondale.
The company operates its own direct-to-consumer online shop in Europe (with international fulfillment) and North America and runs additional branches in Taiwan and China for a rigid global supply chain – catering to everyone from small independent bike brands to global powerhouses.
More at acros-components.com
