BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
British children’s bike brand Frog Bikes has appointed Stephen Loftus to its board.
Loftus, former chief commercial officer for Brompton, joins the Frog board as non-executive director, to help accelerate the brand’s international expansion.
Founded in 2013 by Jerry and Shelley Lawson, Frog aims to provide high-quality bikes for kids in varied disciplines, including hybrid, road and MTB.
On his appointment, Loftus said: “I am delighted to be joining Frog Bikes. I am passionate about getting kids on bikes and have got to know Frog well over the last few years. As my kids will testify, the bikes are fantastic, and I believe there is significant potential for growth both in the U.K. as well as internationally. I am looking forward to supporting the team.”
During his time with British folding bike brand Brompton, Loftus oversaw the growth of the business from £27 million to over £100 million.
Before Brompton, Loftus worked in sales, marketing and innovation roles in the international drinks industry, for companies including Diageo, Red Bull and Constellation.
Frog Bikes co-founder Jerry Lawson said: “Having known Stephen for some time I can attest that he is a respected innovator in the industry and we are thrilled to welcome him on board to support our next stage of growth.”
Last year, BikeBiz spoke with Frog co-founder Lawson to learn more about the brand.
Rewind 15 years and the choice of bikes for children was limited – cheap supermarket bikes were prevalent, while finding a reliable, functional, and long-lasting bike would have been a struggle for any parents shopping for their youngsters. That was the situation that Jerry and Shelley Lawson found themselves in back in 2011, as they perused the local bike shops to find options for their kids.
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After speaking to retailers, the Lawsons found there was an appetite for quality kids’ bikes, with ride quality at their heart, prompting them to launch their own UK-based bike brand for children.
