CANYON rafforza la sua posizione, GBL scelto come nuovo Partner

Il nodo si è sciolto e Canyon ha annunciato il partner per traghettarla in una nuova fase di sviluppo, la scelta del nostro Chairman è ricaduta su GBL, Groupe Bruxelles Lambert AG, gruppo allineato alla visione e allo spirito di Canyon con Headquarters a Bruxelles. GBL ha grande esperienza in diversi brand, sport e lifestyle e ha convinto il nostro board grazie all’attenzione che pone nel supportare obiettivi di lungo termine nel campo della mobilità sostenibile, della salute e della digitalizzazione, non potremmo essere più in sintonia.

Roman Arnold rimane il principale investitore in Canyon con il 40%, Tony Fadel, ex SVP di Apple e appassionato ciclista si unirà all’azienda con il suo team per portare avanti progetti focalizzati sulla sostenibilità. GBL si è dichiarata positivamente colpita dai risultati raggiunti da Canyon nel corso degli anni offrendo ad ogni ciclista il prodotto giusto per scegliere la bici come mezzo principale di trasporto.

– COMUNICATO STAMPA –

KOBLENZ, 15th DECEMBER 2020 – After intensive talks with potential investors, company founder Roman Arnold has selected Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (GBL) to be the partner of the world’s leading direct-to-consumer bicycle company. In partnership with GBL, Canyon expects to accelerate the high level of innovation expertise, technology leadership and customer service proposition. In addition, a focus will be placed on future sustainable mobility concepts. Based in Brussels, GBL is one of the largest investment companies in Europe and brings experience in brand, sports & lifestyle, including through its investment in adidas where it is the largest shareholder.

From a small garage in Koblenz to global leader, Canyon’s story is one of continuous success. In the past seven years, average growth of the German based business has been at 25 percent. In fiscal year 2020, sales topped 400 million euros for the first time, driven by Canyon’s strong portfolio, technology and development expertise as well as continued expansion in the US market. Outstanding performance in the areas of road, mountain bike and gravity, as well as urban and fitness, Canyon has now developed e-bike models across the range. The company has reached a scale where it needs strong partners for further growth and innovation.

After a successful cooperation with the US company TSG Consumer Partners, coming to an agreed conclusion in 2020, the task for Canyon and Roman Arnold was to find a new equally suitable partner. “We’ve become a global, digital champion through steady success. Through technology, global expansion and sporting success, we have accomplished a lot. Now is the right time to go further on the offensive, to take advantage of all the opportunities – and they are many. That’s why I’m very pleased to partner with GBL, who have convinced my team and me with their passion for our business, years of experience and long-term focus”, said the founder and Chairman of the Advisory Board. Ian Gallienne, CEO of GBL, is equally excited about the new partnership, “Canyon has an incredible track record, a strong team and great potential. We are very happy to partner with Roman Arnold and the Canyon team. Together we want to take the success story to the next level.”

In addition to GBL as majority shareholder, Roman Arnold remains the largest individual shareholder of Canyon Bicycles GmbH with 40 percent of the shares. As a co-investor alongside GBL, Tony Fadell, former SVP of Apple’s iPod division, and also a passionate cyclist, is joining Canyon with the support of his entire team. With his company and Future Shape team, which is focused on sustainability, he supports companies in bringing innovative digital technologies out of the lab and into everyday use. “Roman and his team have built an incredible business over the past 20+ years. We are honored to help drive Canyon’s inspiring brand to meet the growing interest in bicycles – from trail to track to commuting, while cars stay parked,” said Fadell.

Blythe Jack, Managing Director at TSG Consumer Partners, added: “We are incredibly grateful for the extraordinary partnership we have enjoyed for the past five years with Roman Arnold and the Canyon team, and are very proud of the many accomplishments we achieved together during a period of significant growth. We see a bright future ahead for Canyon and look forward to watching their continued success with GBL.”

Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated (Baird) investment bank acted as an exclusive financial advisor to Canyon in the investor search. The transactions are expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2021, once the necessary regulatory approvals have been obtained.

Per informazioni: canyon.com