BOCA RATON, Fla. (BRAIN) — Former Orbea USA general manager Tony Karklins, who operated an IBD for almost two decades before founding the Spanish bike brand’s U.S. office in 2001, is returning to retail, joining Florida-based chain BikeStreet USA as executive vice president of merchandising and business development.
Following Orbea Sdad’s acquisition of Orbea USA in October, the company announced last week that Karklins would be leaving the company, with former Trek Spain manager Gonzalo Garcia de Salazar stepping in as U.S. general manager. Karklins will transition to BikeStreet from his duties at Orbea over the next couple months.
“I am thrilled to be back in the retail side of the industry and part of the new management team that BikeStreet is building. It is my goal to build a professional and sustainable chain of bicycle stores that offer a vibrant selection of products and a fantastic consumer experience,” Karklins said.
BikeStreet CEO Gregg Throgmartin stated: “Tony comes to BikeStreet with a wealth of industry experience. He will be responsible for brand selection, purchasing, store presentation and will be a key person in developing the future strategy of the BikeStreet chain.”
BikeStreet currently operates 17 locations in Florida and North and South Carolina.
For a more in-depth report on BikeStreet's growth plans, see the May 15 print edition of BRAIN.
