MILAN, Italy (BRAIN)—Look has taken over sales and marketing of its brand in Italy with the opening of a wholly owned subsidiary located near Milan.
The office opened earlier this month with three employees who will handle sales and marketing for the country, which accounts for 15 to 18 percent of Look’s worldwide pedal, frame and complete bike business, said Thierry Fournier, chief executive officer of Look Cycle.
Shipping and other logistics will be handled from Look’s headquarters in France, Fournier said.
Look formed the office after its longtime Italian distributor, Saim, decided to leave the bike business in an effort to cut back after struggling with the boating side of its operation, he said.
Fournier said he does not anticipate Look would continue switching over to this model in other countries.
“We are very happy to have distributors,” Fournier said. “We really prefer to focus on manufacturing and development then to control the distribution. It’s not our goal. We had to do it [in Italy] because the situation wanted us to do it. If the distributor was in a position to continue we would’ve kept going with him.”
Look also has a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary located in Northern California.
—Nicole Formosa
