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Iconic BMX brand GT Bicycles has announced a new commercial organisation for 2023 along with a new product strategy.
For more than a decade, GT has shared sales and support teams with Cannondale as part of the Pon Holdings and Dorel Sports group, and was distributed in the UK by CSG UK.
Under the new structure, GT will transition from CSG UK to Pon Bike Performance, alongside Santa Cruz, Juliana, Reserve and Cervelo brands.
This transition will be led by GT Bicycles managing director Jason Schiers.
GT will also have a separate and dedicated team based in California, where the brand was founded in 1972.
The brand also hopes to return to its ‘dirt’ roots, with a new focus on mountain bikes, BMX and gravel (a discipline which GT was an early adopter with its Grade models).
In an announcement, the brand said: “All GT dealers will have received a communication outlining the changes and how the transition will work and in the meantime, CSG will continue to support GT whilst working closely with PBP to complete the transition process.
“We couldn’t be more excited for Pon Bike Performance UK MD Dickon Hepworth and his team and feel confident that this change will position GT for continued success and growth, as it enters its second half-century as a brand.”
Founded in 1972 by Gary Turner and Richard Long, GT was an innovator in early BMX design. The original founders sold the company in 1993.
After a variety of ownership changes, the brand was eventually acquired by Canadian company Dorel Industries in 2004, which would later also buy Cannondale.
In 2021 Dutch company Pon Holdings, owner of Cervelo and Santa Cruz, announced it would be purchasing the bicycle division of Dorel for $810 million.
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That purchase was completed in early 2022, with Dorel CEO Martin Schwartz saying at the time: “We are very pleased to have completed the sale of Dorel Sports to a great company like Pon. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I again thank the Dorel Sports team for their commitment to Dorel and their great achievements.”
“We believe that with this sale, Dorel has realised full value for Dorel Sports, for the benefit of Dorel and our shareholders.”
