BLOOMINGTON, MN (BRAIN)—Since buying Lazer Helmets from its parent company last month, new majority owner Sean van Waes has bulked up staff both in the U.S. and at company headquarters in Antwerp, Belgium, to help propel the brand into a solid No.3 position.
He’s brought on six new employees to handle administrative duties in Antwerp, positions that were formerly shared across all Lazer’s divisions.
In the U.S., Lazer recently hired Nestor Rodriguez specifically to work as a part-time, non-commission based sales rep in the important Southern California territory. Rodriguez, who works from Carlsbad, will serve as the eyes and ears of the Southern California dealers for van Waes and brand manager Mike Pederson.
Another addition to Lazer is Rebecca Karbon, who’s the new sales manager for the brand working out of Quality Bicycle Products, Lazer’s exclusive U.S. distributor. Karbon will work closely with the new Euro Sales Group, a team formed at QBP to sell the Ridley, Fulcrum and Lazer brands.
Christopher Smith will continue to handle marketing and advertising. Smith said Lazer will step up its global marketing plan this year with a presence at the Tour of Flanders, the Nature Valley Grand Prix, Cyclocross Nationals, Eurobike and Interbike and will launch its 2011 product at Lifeboat Events’ PressCamp in June.
Lazer entered the U.S. market in 2004, and is trying to capture more market share from category leaders Giro, Bell and Specialized.
“We want to be at least No. 3 helmet brand in the U.S. With the quality of product and the distribution setup through QBP, there’s no reason why we can’t be No. 3,” Smith said.
—Nicole Formosa
