Accell Group have appointed Larry Pizzi to head up the newly established Raleigh Electric company in north America.
While Raleigh electric bikes have been retailed through Accell North America since 2014, the Group believes re-structuring to form Raleigh Electric as a standalone business in the US will provide the ‘leadership and support’ for Raleigh to replicate strong sales growth seen in Europe.
Accell’s Raleigh, IZIP and Haibike e-bike brands have garnered the largest overall market share in the US with growth ‘essentially doubled, year over year’ according to the Group, with Chairman, René Takens, adding: “We are benefiting in Europe from our leading position in the field of electric bikes, which currently account for some 43% of our total turnover and we have confidence that we can replicate that success through this strategic emphasis on e-bikes in the US”.
Larry Pizzi, who is also Vice President of the Bicycle Products Suppliers Association (BPSA), said: “The response to Raleigh Electric has been tremendous and it is now one of the fastest growing brands of e-bikes in the US market. Alongside our original California e-bike brand IZIP, we have confidence that we are well positioned to provide best-in-class selection, service and support as the market continues to grow in North America.”
Pizzi told Pedelecs that non-electric Raleigh bikes will continue to remain in the hands of Accell North America, while Haibike will continue with its existing USA sales force under the commercial direction of Haibike in Germany.
