The founders of high-end mountain bike maker Maverick LLC have hired David Wisenteiner as VP to improve dealer support so they can continue focusing on design.


Maverick said Wisenteiner was instrumental in improving  sales, marketing and customer service at Ellsworth, which sells – among other things – $4,000 curisers. At Maverick, he will focus on “dramatically improving” its dealer support system and increasing the dealer network.


Maverick was founded Rockshox founder Paul Turner and designer Frank Vogel. The company is credited with pioneering several innovations, including the Monolink suspension design, ultra-light inverted Maverick forks and Speedball adjustable seatpost


“We found that trying to be intensely innovative and also sell made it so we couldn’t focus on either,” says Paul Turner, president of Maverick LLC. “So we’ve brought in Dave to help grow the business so that Frank and I can focus on some crazy new stuff.  The Crank Brothers licensing agreement of the Speedball Seatpost made us realize that we have two ways to grow the quiver of patents that we have collected over the years while allowing the bike business to grow wings and take off, which it has been aching to do for years.”


Wisenteiner said he aims to broaden Maverick's distribution within the speciality channel.

 

“Maverick is a remarkable brand because of its small size and because they utilize the proprietary suspension system that rides so differently than anything else on the market,” he said. “Up to now, Maverick has been offered in just a few high-end dealers around the country and often as a special order item. We aim to change that.

 

 “We are not talking about being a mass brand by any means, but the company has its production dialed and is delivering bikes earlier than ever and has probably the best support and warranty philosophy of any company I have seen in the industry. So, structurally, we are ready.”