MIAMI, FL (BRAIN)—Neil Pryde Bikes is changing its distribution model in North America. The company, which is headquartered in Hong Kong, said that in response to increasing demand, its wholly owned subsidiary, the Pryde Group Americas, will handle distribution and management of the brand from its warehouse in Miami, Florida.
That warehouse has been operating since 1982 to manage the Pryde Group’s North and South American independent water sports business. Neil Pryde is well known in the windsurfing world as one of the leading suppliers to that market. It also produces triathlon wetsuits and is a contract manufacturer of a variety of high-performance sporting goods for various suppliers.
Previously, Neil Pryde Bikes, which launched its line of road bikes in October 2010, had a dealer-direct business model whereby it imported orders directly to dealers from its assembler in Taiwan. Independent reps handled warranties and customer service and helped build out the dealer network. This model worked until now.
“Our bicycles have been very well received globally and in recognizing the strategic importance of the North American market and consulting with our existing dealers, we decided it was important to create a formal structure in the U.S. to fully develop the Group’s bike business,” said company founder Neil Pryde in a press release.
The subsidiary in Miami will provide a strong backbone for sales, marketing, logistics and customer service, the company said.
In addition, Neil Pryde Bikes has hired Jim Pfeil as the bicycle brand manager for the Americas. Pfeil founded Reynolds Composites in 1998 and more recently worked at Enve Composites. He will hit the road in the coming months to visit dealers and look for sales reps.
North American retailers saw the bikes for the first time at this year’s DealerCamp and Interbike shows. Neil Pryde currently offers its road Diablo and aero Alize models, both composite.
Pfeil can be reached at jimp@npusa.com or (305) 591-5594. He is looking for sales reps in most geographical regions.
