BMC (bicycle manufacturer)

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BMC Switzerland AG

logo
legal form Corporation
founding 1986
Seat Grenchen , Solothurn , Switzerland
Number of employees 120
Branch Sporting goods
Website www.bmc-switzerland.com
Status: 2017

BMC main building
BMC impec lab research center

The BMC Switzerland AG (short for Bicycle Manufacturing Company ) is a Swiss bicycle manufacturer based in Grenchen . The company develops, produces and markets racing bikes , mountain bikes and urban bikes. The sales markets that are served by independent bicycle dealers are mainly North America, Western Europe including Scandinavia, South Africa, East Asia and the United Arab Emirates.

history

The original company was founded in 1986. The owner at the time held a Raleigh Cycle Company license for sales in Switzerland. The BMC brand was created in 1994. By the year 2000, BMC was already known in Switzerland as a supplier of mountain bikes with damping solutions called VPS, virtual pivot system . Despite a good dealer base in Switzerland, the numbers were in the red. In 2001 the company was taken over by Andy Rihs , who was also a co-owner of Phonak . With the related sponsorship of the Phonak racing bike team , the realignment of the product strategy began. Targeted investments followed in the areas of development, design and marketing for racing bikes. The first team bike, the team machine SLT01 , is the basis of the skeleton concept. In the following year, BMC became involved in professional cycling for the first time by sponsoring the Phonak Cycling Team . In addition, high-quality components are manufactured under the Scor brand . Export activities began in 2003. BMC sold its bicycles internationally for the first time. The BMC pro machine , the first CNT full carbon frame ( carbon nanotubes , carbon nanotubes ) weighing less than one kilogram, was also honored with several design prizes.

With the production of the BMC Impec in 2010, a fully automated production line for frame manufacture was built at the Grenchen site in the canton of Solothurn . BMC expects this to reduce manufacturing tolerances. BMC has been part of the BMC Group Holding since 2006, which was called ISH International Sport Holding until March 2012.

Cycling

BMC supplied the Swiss racing team Phonak Cycling Team until it was dissolved at the end of the 2006 season. From 2007 to 2018 the company was the main sponsor and supplier of the US BMC Racing Team , which dissolved after the 2018 season. In 2011, Cadel Evans won the Tour de France on a BMC bike. In 2019, the collaboration with the Dimension Data team began, which will be riding under a new title sponsor and the name NTT Pro Cycling from 2020 .

today

BMC produced around 70,000 bicycles in 2017 and had around 120 employees worldwide. Numerous national and international teams and athletes in the fields of road cycling, triathlon, MTB and cross are supported by BMC.

Individual evidence

  1. radfahren.de: Red Dot Design Award '06.
  2. ride.ch: BMC CEO Hürlimann: “Switzerland is our most important market”.
  3. BMC owner Andy Rihs: “The bike has become a top piece of sports equipment” . In: Solothurner Zeitung , May 4, 2017.

Web links