Stefan Pierer on why KTM can succeed where BMW failed

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blazes

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Faerie Glen
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Husqvarna (all models)
“First, we have 20 years experience in the offroad niche market. It is a very specific market and you need experienced people: former racers and skilled technicians. Every small detail must be pursued with hard and consistent work to create the right product.

“Second, the offroad community is a closed community and if you are not part of it then you are making a mistake.

“Third, Italy, as an industrial base, is one of the most difficult, aside from France, because of the labor regulations. Italy is not competitive any more. First of all you need to pay a lot of money to have a nice Italian company and brand. Then, you need to pay a lot of money to get rid of that company. That was the background situation when I came to meet with BMW.

“They asked if I was interested in Husqvarna because they wanted to focus on road bikes. I said ‘why not? Let’s sit together’. It was as simple as that. It sounds easy and it was easy. We are very excited now, especially when we think about the new model program. For KTM’s factory in Mattighofen, Austria, it means 15,000 additional bikes based on the same platforms. It is like the car industry with Volkswagen and Seat, Audi and Skoda. In the market place the brands are separate, but behind the scenes there are synergies. That is the only way to survive on a small scale and in a competitive industry.”
 
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