The Taiwanese bicycle component specialist Tektro has recently gained attention for multiple reasons. Two years ago, the company expanded its Taichung factory by an impressive 18,800 square meters and made significant investments in the automation of its in-house production. Last year, the introduction of the TRP Evo12 mountain bike groupset demonstrated that they are competing at par with the industry’s big players, not only when it comes to individual components but also in the field of entire groupsets.
Leveraging this momentum, the company plans to strengthen its market presence in Europe. The near-term goals include expanding marketing activities and increasing the visibility across various European markets.
Silvan Schäfer enhances marketing division
“With Tektro and our premium brand TRP, we have brands with very strong products – as evidenced by the recent launch of the TRP Evo groupset,” says Silvan Schäfer. Since August 2023, he has served as marketing coordinator Europe at Tektro Europe. Tektro's European headquarters was established in September 2019 as a logical step in the company’s strategy to be closer to the main European markets. Since then, the site in Haßloch, one hour southwest of Frankfurt am Main, has been steadily growing.
As of now, the German Tektro office employs ten people. The European headquarters thereby acts as a comprehensive backup for distributors and dealers in the surrounding countries and regions for Tektro Europe and its premium brand TRP. Additionally, they support Tektro's brand presence in Europe with country-specific offerings like translations of product guides, manuals, etc.
Our goal is to continue growing in the coming years. Our intensified efforts in marketing are part of this strategy.”
“Our goal is to continue growing in the coming years. Our intensified efforts in marketing are part of this strategy.” Schäfer adds. For the 28-year-old, Tektro marks the second venture in the bicycle industry. After positions in the sports and fitness world, he most recently worked for a German online retailer of cycling apparel. At Tektro, he is now explicitly tasked with developing and implementing communication strategies, PR and community management, increasing visibility and brand recognition for Tektro and TRP, as well as athlete and team support in Europe. “Event planning is also part of my duties,” says Schäfer.
Increased presence at events and trade shows
He mentions this for good reason: apart from targeted campaigns for upcoming product innovations, there will be a noticeable boost in event participation in the near future. Tektro will be attending, among others, the Bike Festival Riva (Italy), Eurobike (Germany), Sea Otter Europe (Spain), and the Italian Bike Festival (Italy). According to Schäfer, efforts have been made over the winter to improve the design of their trade show booth, among other things, to bring more brilliance to their presentations.
Besides Germany, he specifically mentions France, Italy, and Spain as the most important target markets. “Additionally, we also support our stakeholders at local events. An example is our cooperation with the bike park in Samerberg, Upper Bavaria. Maintaining direct contact with our partners and customers is also crucial to us,” he emphasises.
As Tektro Europe continues to expand its footprint across the European market, the company remains committed to innovation, quality, and strengthening relationships with partners and customers alike. With innovative products such as the TRP Evo groupset and increased marketing efforts Tektro is riding confidently into the future, ready to meet the needs of the ever-evolving European cycling landscape.
The presence at upcoming key events and trade shows is just the beginning, as Silvan Schäfer mentions at the end of our conversation. “A slogan that we’ve adopted for our products is ‘unleash the full potential of your bike’. This philosophy also extends to our company itself. We plan to realise our full potential in the years to come.”
This article is sponsored by Tektro
