DGAP-News: German champions for MIFA: sales personnel coup
(firmenpresse) - DGAP-News: MIFA Mitteldeutsche Fahrradwerke AG / Key word(s): Change
of Personnel
German champions for MIFA: sales personnel coup
06.11.2013 / 11:06
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German champion for MIFA: sales personnel coup
- Sales professional Jörn Gersbeck (44) to head up national specialist
dealer sales, succeeding Andreas Liertz
- Former German time trial champion and Tour de France cyclist Thomas
Liese (45) to strengthen North-East German external sales to specialist
dealers
Sangerhausen, November 6, 2013 - MIFA Mitteldeutsche Fahrradwerke AG (WKN
A0B95Y, ISIN DE000A0B95Y8), Germany's largest manufacturer of bicycles in
terms of sales, announces prominent new hires as of November 1 for its
sales activities to specialist dealers. Jörn Gersbeck, who has considerable
sector experience, is to be responsible for selling the GRACE and
Steppenwolf brands to specialist dealers in Germany. Thomas Liese, who was
born in MIFA's hometown of Sangerhausen and is a former professional
cyclist, has been recruited to the field sales force for GRACE and
Steppenwolf within Germany's North-East regions.
Jörn Gersbeck will head up national sales to specialist dealers for MIFA's
Group brands GRACE and Steppenwolf. His responsibilities will include
further developing the sales concept, coordination of the in-house and
field sales forces across Germany, and managing the service area. Gersbeck
has worked in the cycle sector for around 25 years. Among other
responsibilities, he played a significant role in helping to structure
Steppenwolf's sales activities between 2002 and 2011, when the firm was
still an independent enterprise. 'It wasn't a question of whether, but
when, I would assume responsibility for Steppenwolf again. The
preconditions are ideal within the MIFA group association to significantly
boost Steppenwolf's market share,' is how the 44-year-old expressed his
pleasure at his return. Gersbeck succeeds Steppenwolf co-founder Andreas
Liertz who has left MIFA in order to devote himself to new responsibilities
in the future. His brother and co-founder Roland Liertz remains with the
brand as product manager. Gersbeck will report to Michael Hecken, who heads
up the Group strategy and marketing areas, and acts as managing director of
MIFA subsidiaries Grace GmbH&Co. KG and Steppenwolf Bavaria GmbH.
Thomas Liese has also come full circle. A native of Sangerhausen - where
MIFA is headquartered - he discovered cycling sports at the age of eight
when he joined MIFA's staff sports club. Numerous amateur successes were
followed by his major triumph as a cycling professional in 2001 when he
became German champion in single time trial. Two years later he was
accepted for the Tour de France - including partnering Jan Ullrich, which
formed the high point of his cycling career. After the end of his cycling
career, his activities then included acting as German national cycle sports
trainer for the women's and junior women's teams.
'It gives me pleasure to now form part of MIFA, and to make my contribution
to MIFA's future success with my broad network within the cycling sector,'
comments Liese. He is to manage relationships with specialist trade
customers in the new German federal states (including Berlin) as part of
his external sales force activities at MIFA, and is also to contribute to
further expanding the specialist dealer network, which includes more than
350 clients. Liese, a graduate of sports sciences and sports education, has
a clear philosophy regarding his future tasks: 'I have worked in sales
across my entire professional career, so to speak, and have always regarded
myself as a team player. Interacting with people will continue to form the
core of my daily work. Above all, I wish to always have an ear open for
specialist dealers' concerns.' Liese is enthusiastic about GRACE and
Steppenwolf bikes: 'The very first thing I did was to test models for the
2014 cycling season, of course. As a former time trial specialist, I am
accustomed to a certain level of quality when it comes to materials. And I
can say that I am delighted by the cycling experience, particularly also of
the GRACE e-bikes.'
With the successful integration of the GRACE and Steppenwolf premium
brands, MIFA aims to significantly expand its market share among specialist
dealers over the coming years, including through extending its German and
pan-European sales networks. MIFA's head of strategy and marketing Michael
Hecken identifies the potentials: 'Our specialist dealer brands benefit
from considerable synergies in purchasing, production and development. With
the expansion and professionalisation of our sales team, we will understand
the market even better, and be able to transfer this over to our
development work.' For the 2014 cycling season, the GRACE e-bike brand
model range is being expanded to include the GRACE MX II, which will be
available in trail and urban variants. For the cult Steppenwolf brand, a
completely-overhauled model range is to be launched on the market,
including mountain bike, trekking bike, cross bike and pedelec cycle types.
About the company:
MIFA Mitteldeutsche Fahrradwerke AG, headquartered in Sangerhausen
(Saxony-Anhalt), is Germany's largest manufacturer of bicycles in terms of
sales. The company offers a comprehensive range of bicycle models spanning
entry price through to premium end. The components included in bicycle
production are sourced from renowned suppliers and assembled at the
company's sole production site in Sangerhausen, Germany. Business in this
context focuses on product-related order production for major retail chains
and OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) customers. E-bikes have also been
manufactured since 2011. MIFA produces e-bikes for automotive manufacturer
Smart, manufactures for the Deutsche Post bicycle fleet, and supplies
communal lending systems with multi-user vehicles, among other customers.
In 2012, MIFA acquired Berlin-based e-bike manufacturer Grace and
Bavaria-based cult bicycle forging company Steppenwolf, thereby
intensifying its sales activities via specialist dealers. MIFA sells its
bicycles predominately on its domestic German market. Further sales markets
are located mainly in Western Europe. Both the operating business and
administration and logistics are managed at the company's sole production
location in Sangerhausen.
MIFA sold around 546,000 bicycles in 2012 (previous year: around 644,000).
The company generated EUR 111.3 million of sales revenue, up 10.7 %
compared with the previous year (EUR 100.5 million). E-bikes represented
30.0 % of total revenue (previous year: 12.5 %). On this revenue base, the
company achieved operating profit (EBIT) adjusted for acquisition effects
of EUR 2.9 million (previous year: EUR 4.6 million), and correspondingly
adjusted net income stood at EUR 1.1 million (previous year: EUR 2.0
million). MIFA has been a listed company since May 2004. Its shares are
traded in the Prime Standard of the Regulated Market of the Frankfurt Stock
Exchange. MIFA's corporate bond is listed in the Entry Standard for bonds
on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
Contact:
Mark Appoh
cometis AG
Unter den Eichen 7
65195 Wiesbaden
Telephone: 0611-205855-21
Fax: 0611-205855-66
E-Mail: appoh(at)cometis.de
End of Corporate News
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06.11.2013 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a
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Language: English
Company: MIFA Mitteldeutsche Fahrradwerke AG
Kyselhäuser Straße 23
06526 Sangerhausen
Germany
Phone: 03464-5370
Fax: 03464-537251
E-mail: b.mirau(at)mifa.de
Internet: www.mifa.de
ISIN: DE000A0B95Y8
WKN: A0B95Y
Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard);
Freiverkehr in Berlin, Hamburg, München (m:access),
Stuttgart
End of News DGAP News-Service
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238093 06.11.2013
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Datum: 06.11.2013 - 11:06 Uhr
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News-ID 313211
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