BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
The future of Kona Bicycles appears to have been secured after it was confirmed that the original owners had bought it back from Kent Outdoors.
In a letter published on Monday, May 20, Dan Gerhard and Jake Heilbron announced the acquisition after “a bumpy couple years” for the brand, returning it to its roots.
The letter reads: “Dan Gerhard and Jake Heilbron have purchased the brand back from Kent Outdoors, and along with a team of dedicated, experienced Kona employees, are reuniting to keep the Long, Sweet Ride rolling.
“There are a lot of familiar faces here who you know from epic dealer launches, My Kona videos and trail days who are dedicated to the cause. Kona’s employees, dealers, and our dedicated customers have always been our strongest resource, and they keep on jamming to the beat of their own drum.
“With this return to being rider-owned and operated, we’re doubling down on our unique brand legacy and getting back to some basics.”
Renewing relationships with a nearly 1,000 North American and European dealer network is the duo’s highest priority.
The key part to this will be a pause of direct-to-consumer (D2C) sales.
The letter continued: “Most of us started out in bike shops, and in our eyes, IBDs are our strongest advocates and allies. Healthy retailers are integral to making sure that Kona fans everywhere experience the ride of a lifetime.
“To best honour our dealer relationships, we are pausing D2C for all bikes. Konaworld.com will show changes to reflect this, and our social and communications channels will be getting reworked as well once we get things rolling.
“Bear with us, and we will keep you informed as we move through this transition.”
On the bike side, new Kona inventory is headed to the brand’s warehouse and distributors, and alongside the freshly released Ouroboros, there is more new product in the pipeline that is due to be unveiled in the coming months.
In further good news, Kona is now positioned to price its bikes “much more competitively”.
The letter concluded: “Private ownership allows us to be more streamlined, more flexible, and quicker on our feet. This, combined with the support of our suppliers, means we can deliver high quality bikes in a distinctly Kona flavour at super attractive prices. We’ll never do a BOGO Sale again, so don’t ask, but we promise to offer good value for good money, always.
“Our Pacific Northwest roots are as strong as ever. Offices in Ferndale, WA and North Vancouver, BC continue to anchor us proudly in place.
“Tenacious, resilient, straight talking, gritty and sometimes covered in grease, we are committed to keeping the distinctly Kona flavoured bike buzz flowing, and helping people find freedom and fun. We are back. We are still here. Let’s ride.”
