Quality Bicycle Products (QBP) Steve Flagg announced that as of Oct. 1, he will be stepping aside from day-to-day operations of the Bloomington, MN-based distributor to focus on strategy and named QBP's Vice President Rich Tauer to the new role of president.
Flagg’s new title will be Chairman. He will continue to work closely with Tauer on transitioning company operations, and add additional responsibilities for Jerry Pomije, vice president of finance and operations.
“My new title and the role I’ll play will involve working on strategy, product innovation, and organizational development,” said Flagg. “On the innovation side, we have the opportunity to invest more on projects where there are gaps in the industry. I can help us invest at a faster rate, and take a calculated risk when the time is right. New brands and new products can grow to be successful on their own or in some cases, become new categories of growth for QBP, dealers and the industry.”
Tauer said the future of QBP is brighter than ever.
“The industry is changing, and QBP is in a great position to continue to lead that change,” Tauer said. “Our transition from being a distribution company to now being a distribution and bicycle company continues.”
About Flagg’s new role, Tauer feels that, “As Chairman, Steve will be moving into a role that is incredibly valuable to QBP, spending his time on continued development and refinement of our business strategy, and increasing the tempo of our product and service innovation. I will focus on driving change within QBP, building the organization around the fundamentals of operational excellence, implementation of our business strategy, and aligning resources and building the organization that we need to thrive in the future.”
Flagg is confident that Tauer will continue to deliver the service QBP customers and dealers have grown accustomed to, stating, “As president, Rich will take ownership of overall operational excellence and expansion of our service level for dealers and our suppliers. Distribution excellence and dealer success will continue to be the cornerstone of QBP going forward.”
Flagg and his wife Mary Henrickson were the sole employees when they founded QBP in 1981. The present employee count is over 600 people and 26 dogs, working at four different facilities across the country. Tauer will be the first to succeed Flagg in the role of president.
“This leadership shift will be a positive one that will allow us to keep our core values and beliefs in place and continue to grow the business,” said Flagg? “I am excited for QBP and Rich. He is the right choice going forward.”
Tauer adds, “One of Steve’s major accomplishments was to build a strong, knowledgeable and resilient leadership team capable of sustainability and continued success for QBP, regardless of economic cycles and an ever-changing marketplace. Because of this, QBP will to continue to be a driving force in the bike industry.”
