Tern Makes Several North American Leadership and Sales Hires

Tern, the Taiwanese maker of folding and electric bikes, made several key hires at Stile Products, Inc., its North American division and distributor. Gage Saxton has joined Stile Products as business development & marketing manager and Brandon O’Kelly assumes a new role as brand manager. Doug Hall has been retained as a new outside sales representative for the Pacific Northwest, Victor Alava is the new lead tech, and Rob Castaneda has joined Stile Products’ warehouse team in Downey. CA.

“The past 18 months have been one of the most unpredictable and challenging periods I’ve experienced in my 30-plus years in the bike industry,” said Steve Boyd, Tern’s general manager for North America. “And I’m proud to say that they’ve also been some of Tern’s most successful. There continues to be steady and increasing demand for high-quality, reliable, and safe e-bikes and we’ve been delivering for our dealers, whether that’s new models that are driving new customers, updates that are refreshing proven performers, or smartly structured programs that minimize the impact of tariffs as much as possible. Investing in our team will allow continued growth and increased performance for all our partners.”

Gage Saxton comes from Gates Belt Drive, where he was business development manager and counted Tern as an OE partner. While at Gates, Gage helped develop a nationwide retailer training and education program.

Brandon O’Kelly returns to Tern after a brief stint outside the bike industry. O’Kelly was previously director of operations in North America for Tern and returns with a focus on product management and developing and managing strategic responses to regulatory requirements.

Doug Hall was most recently national sales and business development manager for Pinarello US, following the sale of his Bike Therapy store in Morgan Hill, CA. Hall earlier in his career was a outside sales rep.

Victor Alava and Rob Castaneda are cycling industry veterans: Alava comes from 10 years with Bicycle Transit Systems and six years in bike retail and Castaneda spent 23 years with KHS. Tern said, “Their experience and dedication will help Tern navigate the shifting tides of inventory management, ensuring that industry and retail partners alike receive the highest quality of service.”

Image courtesy Tern