Posted 10/29/2009
Industry News
Electra Bicycle Company Names Skip Hess Co-CEO
Press release
Vista, California (October 27, 2009) – Electra Bicycle Company, LLC, which currently distributes bikes in 27 countries, announces Skip Hess as co-CEO of the company. Skip will lead operations including supply chain, inventory control, sales and distribution, and will oversee the finance and warehousing functions. Benno Baenziger continues his position as Founder and co-CEO, leading product development and brand management.
Skip has served on Electra’s Board of Directors for the past 18 months. He brings 30 years of bicycle industry experience and a history of successful growth strategy executions for other major bicycle brands including Giant, Schwinn and GT Bicycles.
Skip got his start in the industry with family-owned Mongoose bicycle company. That experience helped him get the pedals moving for Giant Bicycles’ start-up in the late 80s. He then brought financial backing and guidance for the turnaround of Schwinn Cycling & Fitness in the early 90s. Afterwards, he returned to Giant to help manage its dramatic growth over the last 10 years.
In addition to his corporate accomplishments, Skip has held board seats on the Bikes Belong Coalition and the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association (BPSA). Skip is also a past president of the BPSA.
“I’m looking forward to the continued collaboration with Skip on our corporate strategy. There is no one else in the industry with his extensive experience that understands our vision as well as he does,” said Benno.
“Electra is an innovative bicycle company,” said Skip. “I’m looking forward to my expanded role in helping Electra achieve its future goals.”
About Electra
Electra Bicycle Company, LLC is the leading brand in recreational cycling sales in the Independent Bicycle Dealer Network, showcasing over 200 models of Ticino™, Townie®, Amsterdam®, Cruiser and children’s bikes, all affordably priced. Electra is headquartered in Vista, California, with distribution in 27 countries worldwide.
For more information, call 760.607.2453 or visit electrabike.com to view the complete line of Electra bicycles and accessories.
Share this article
Share
Featured Events
Road Touring from September 11, 2010–September 12, 2010 @ Mt Vernon, WA
Road Touring from September 18, 2010–September 19, 2010 @ Spokane, WA
Road Touring on September 25, 2010 @ Whidbey Island, WA
Road Touring on October 09, 2010 @ Hillsboro, OR
Features
- Excitement has reached the Northwest’s racing scene once more — you can feel it, it’s in the air. Thousands of riders, from the beginners to the top athletes, are watching their calendar in anticipation of what should incontestably be another memorable cyclocross season. Go see one, go race one, you’ll get the bug, I guaranty it!
- Disc brakes ushered in a new era for cycling, but the learning curve was a bit steep for many shop mechanics and consumers. This led to an initial stigma due to a basic misunderstanding of how the brakes were serviced and how they functioned.
- Obesity is a growing problem in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Surgeon General and other health institutions and professionals have labeled it an “epidemic.” Cycling offers a relatively simple and accessible solution for many people.
- Craig Undem has been a professional cycling coach since 1996 and has been competing since the ‘80s, equating to a lot of experience. Kristi Berg is an accomplished road, mountain bike, BMX, and cyclocross racer, and a nationally certified personal trainer and Level 2 cycling coach. Last year, the folks from Seattle’s Cycle University produced an instructional video titled Cyclocross Boot Camp. It contains two DVDs that run about 90 minutes total. In the videos the narrators, Undem and Berg, cover various topics to help current or aspiring cyclocross racers perform at their highest level and to “help you rock your ‘cross” season.
Opinions
- Who would launch a bike book publishing company during a recession when many publishers are closing up shop? It sounds like pedaling uphill in a headwind with storm clouds building on the horizon. But if you’ve towed your sons across continents, outpaced angry elephants in Botswana, been treed by geese in New Hampshire, and reclaimed your possessions in a mountain bike race in the Australian Outback, taking on the challenge of launching a publishing company during “interesting times” is in character.Par for the course, really, my course anyway, that looks like Dr. Seuss designed it, mind you.
- Because your legs, like a car engine, have a happy, efficient operating range, most bikes are equipped with a number of gears. This allows your legs to find a cadence or a pedaling speed that pleases them. Each time you pause, your muscles stop moving the blood in and out of your legs, where it can be cleansed and re-oxygenated. Nothing good happens while you’re coasting.
- In the spring of 2009, the Oregon and the Washington State Department of Transportation and other business interest groups were pushing the Columbia River Crossing project, a 4 billion dollar, 12-lane bridge planned to replace the existing I-5 structure between Oregon and Washington.
- Part two of a two-part conversation between Maynard and his friend Corey. Last month they were talking about club rides and the advantages and disadvantages of participating in them. Many would never ride with more experienced cyclists. They’re afraid they’ll embarrass themselves when they can’t get a wheel off their bike and fix a flat in a reasonable time — while 15 people fidget and watch. If you can fix a flat, you know how easy it is. If you don’t know how, think of how liberated you’d feel if you did know. Why, you could ride with anybody!
Photo Galleries