Ed Andrew, who was President of NiteRider from January 1996 to December 1999, has returned to the company as the new CEO. Ed left the company on very good terms in 1999 to help launch a small start-up company with a product concept, a small amount of set-up capital and nothing else. That little start-up is now a nationally recognized company with more than $15 million in annual sales, in less than 5 years of existence.
Kevin Lunau, Niteriders current President, and Ed Andrew represent the strongest management team to ever be in place at NiteRider. Lunau said “Ed adds his own brand of enthusiasm, foresight and ambition. We look forward to many years with him as our CEO.”
Company founder Tom Carroll began the company as a personal project in the mid-eighties when he owned a construction company. An avid surfer, Tom was left with little daylight surfing time while trying to run his company and devised a lighting system he could wear on a white water helmet. The “ride” in NiteRider comes from riding waves, though it translates well to cycling. After working with Ed previously, when Tom learned that Ed was looking for another exciting adventure, he told him to stop looking.
According to Ed, one of his primary reasons for returning to NiteRider is the cycling industry itself. “I enjoy the bicycle industry because of the enthusiastic attitudes that prevail.” He also stated that he always felt that the company had great people and a great product, believing that both are still true today.
The entire management team now in place at NiteRider is very optimistic about the future and the opportunities present in the marketplace. As Ed himself put it, “everyone can expect to once again hear a lot about NiteRider as we set out to accomplish the goals we have set for ourselves during the next several years.”
