Hawley-Lambert, the third largest bicycle parts and accessories distributor in North America, has signed a letter of intent to acquire Simcoe Bicycles, a city bike manufacturer.
“Simcoe is an ongoing collaboration with North Americas leading city bike retailers. Its the first city bike made for the North American continent, with components built for the cold of the Northeast and the boardwalks of the Southwest, said Eric Kamphof, co-founder of Simcoe Bicycles. “We believe that with Hawley-Lamberts strong leadership, Simcoe will develop vertically and horizontally towards untapped markets and new regions, he added.
Lambert General Manager Sylvain Caya called the city bike market a niche with a great growth potential.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Simcoe team, since they have been developing the urban market for the past eight years,” Caya said. “Their market knowledge can be seen in their attention to detail and their unique geometry that makes the bike very stable and manoeuvrable at the same time.
Kamphof and co-owner Steve Tam will continue working as consultants for the brand.
This transaction is great news for U.S. retailers. They will have easier access to a quality city bike brand that recreational and commuter cyclists are demanding, said Steve Hawley, President of Hawley USA. The forward-thinking bike geometries can cater to all sorts of customers, from die-hard long-haul commuters to recreational cyclists looking to travel around with their kids and groceries. Simcoe is a great brand to bring on board.
As a result of this new partnership, Simcoe will be presenting its 2015 bikes to the U.S. market in booth #8005 at Interbike. The Simcoe 2015 bike line will be available to order from Hawley and Lambert this fall.
