Industry News

MILWAUKEE (BRAIN) — Midwest distributor Olympic Supply Company has completed the move to a new facility nearly double the size of its old space. The new building has LED lights throughout, skylights, energy efficiencies and an extra four feet of ceiling height.
SAN DIEGO (BRAIN) — Elliptigo Inc. has added to its sales and marketing staff, bringing aboard Kate Cornelius and Djohara VandeCasteele.

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (BRAIN) — According to web postings by a friend, veteran pro road, mountain bike and cyclocross racer Steve Tilford died early Wednesday following a vehicle crash on I-70 near the Colorado/Utah border. Tilford was about 57.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. (BRAIN) — Interbike has hired former longtime NBDA executive director Fred Clements to fill the newly created position of retail relations director.
BERKELEY, Calif. (BRAIN) — The Youth Cycling Alliance, which was formed last year following a meeting at Interbike, is working with UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business to map and assess existing youth cycling programs around the country.
SAUSALITO, Calif. (BRAIN) — Osmo Nutrition, relaunched last year after a period of dormancy, is now being distributed exclusively in the U.S. and Canada by Highway Two.
NEWBURY PARK, Calif. (BRAIN) — Giant Retail Academy, the retailer training website for Giant USA, is hosting the recently released 10-part BPSA e-bike video series. The 10 videos and quizzes, produced by the Bicycle Product Supplier's Association, are designed to help retail staff explain and sell e-bikes.
MADRID (BRAIN) — Rotor America has hired Matt Clements as its East Coast tech rep.

DENVER (BRAIN) — Gates Corporation has hired Boo Bicycles' former chief technical officer, Ben Castaneda, as a technical support specialist in the company's bicycle division. Castaneda will oversee OEM support, service, warranty and special projects for Gates Carbon Drive's North American market.
LEVIS, Quebec (BRAIN) — Distributions Lyncée is the new Canadian distributor of Bkool bike trainers.
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (BRAIN) — QBP is now a global distribution partner for BMX race brands Staats and Ciari. Both brands offer BMX race-focused products.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (BRAIN) — Blackout Distribution has recently promoted Ryan O'Rourke to be assistant brand manager of Cinema, Kink, and Mission BMX, overseeing the direction of all three brands.
O'Rourke was previously Blackout's warehouse manager for several years.

MISSOULA, Mont. (BRAIN) — Michael Deme, who was Adventure Cycling's director of design and media, died suddenly and unexpectedly of natural causes this week at age 51.
Deme was a 24-year staffer of Adventure Cycling Association and longtime editor of Adventure Cyclist magazine.
KOBLENZ, Germany (BRAIN) — Canyon Bicycles GmbH has made several key hires in the U.S. as it prepares to begin selling direct to consumers in late summer.

ENCINITAS, Calif. (BRAIN) — Lava magazine's May 1 issue, now hitting newsstands, will be its last print edition. The magazine will continue to be available as a digital magazine, but will no longer be available as a large-format publication.
TAICHUNG, Taiwan (BRAIN) — Revenue at Giant Manufacturing, the world's largest maker of bicycles, slumped last year driven down by weak sales in China and lower sales in the U.S. as high inventory levels and heavy discounting took its toll.
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (BRAIN) — Protective gear maker Leatt Corporation recorded sales of $16.4 million last year, down from $18.3 million the year before. The company recorded a net loss of $455,000 last year.
The company is headquartered in South Africa and its stock is traded on OTCQB market.

TREVISO, Italy (BRAIN) — The private equity firm L Catterton has closed on the transaction to purchase a majority stake in Pinarello, an investment the companies announced last December.

CHICAGO (BRAIN) — SRAM has promoted Riki Bloomquist to the newly established technical training manager position. Bloomquist began with SRAM in 2010 as a dealer service representative and most recently served as a training specialist.
MELBOURNE, Australia (BRAIN) — Dutch Cargo Bike, an Australian distributor of cargo and urban bikes — has taken over all responsibility for distributing Tern bicycle in Australia, effective this month.