January 3/12 11:54 am - Canadian Parts Brand Syncros Purchased by Scott

Posted by Editoress on 01/3/12
 

Twenty five years after its birth on Vancouver's North Shore, component manufacturer Syncros has been purchased by the Swiss bike maker Scott Sports.  Founded by Peter Hamilton and Pippin Osbourne in 1986, and known primarily for its stems and seatposts, the company was losing ground in the early 2000s, when Tom Ritchey purchased it in 2003.  Ritchey revived the brand, and has now sold it to Scott Sports.  Scott Sports will use the brand as an entry to the part and accessories market, so we may see a significant investment in Syncros.  However, it is also likely that the final ties with the North Shore will be cut.

Scott issued a statement:

Scott Sports today announced it will shift gears in the aftermarket bike accessories business and take over the Syncros brand to become a major player in the parts and accessories market. Syncros was founded in 1986 by Peter Hamilton and Pippin Osborne as a small, high-end components company on Vancouver’s North Shore. After a few changes in ownership, Tom Ritchey made the final buy in 2003 and under his guidance, Syncros returned to its roots as a leading manufacturer of high end mountain bike components specialized in the All Mountain, Freeride, and Downhill categories.

Scott will give Syncros the necessary support to design outstanding products and enlarge the line by expanding into Cross Country and Road categories. A dedicated design and engineering team has been created and they have already begun working to develop innovative products for future Syncros product lines. The products will be built to reflect Scott’s high standards for technology while also keeping top-to-bottom integration mind. This type of product integration will cultivate new levels of innovation, further adding value to its bikes.

“We have always believed that the Syncros name has had an excellent image in the industry,” adds Scott Sports Vice President, Pascal Ducrot. “Our priority was to find a way to increase our offering of parts and accessories while still maintaining our relationship with Ritchey, our long-term partner. The purchase of Syncros was the perfect solution and we look forward to offering our dealers a full line of new parts and accessories with the same high quality standards as our bikes.”

Syncros will be distributed through the Scott network to dedicated dealers around the globe. Currently Scott offers dealers a full range of bikes, clothing, bike shoes, and helmets. The addition of Syncros parts and accessories will further strengthen this package, giving dealers more to offer. Scott will present the complete range of new Syncros products to the public during the 2012 Eurobike show.