CEDAR PARK, Texas and ZWOLLE, Netherlands, Feb. 9, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NuVinci Cycling, a division of Fallbrook Technologies Inc. (Fallbrook), announced today that it has hired a new technical product manager to manage its existing and future product portfolio. NuVinci Cycling has also added two new dealer development representatives to expand its successful NuVinci Cycling Test and Service Partner Program from Benelux to Germany.
Technical Product Manager
Richard Hilgart joined NuVinci Cycling on January 1, 2016 as the new Technical Product Manager – Bike. In this role he will manage the existing and future product portfolio as a collector of market and customer requirements for new products and as a creative trend scout. Hilgart will also play an important role as a technical coordinator between OEM customers, the regional sales and marketing teams and the product development and operations teams at Fallbrook's headquarters in Texas.
Hilgart has extensive experience in product and technical management. Most recently, he worked for Benchmark Drives GmbH & Co. KG (part of Continental AG) as a Product and Project Manager. He noted on joining NuVinci Cycling that "Fallbrook Technologies has already demonstrated deep market knowledge and the NuVinci Optimized products are future-oriented. I am happy to see, a strategic focus on service and quality and that NuVinci Cycling is developing an infrastructure, which meets the requirements of the market. I am glad to be part of a team, which is striving to delight the customers." He graduated from Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany with a Master of Arts.
Expansion of NuVinci Cycling Test and Service Partner Program
NuVinci Cycling initiated their NuVinci Cycling Test and Service Partner Program in 2015 with 62 dealers in Belgium and the Netherlands because it is necessary to ride a NuVinci Optimized bike to appreciate fully how the ride experience is different and highly desirable. Additionally, customers purchasing higher-end bikes with high tech components expect an effective local service infrastructure. To meet these needs, all shops participating in the NuVinci Cycling Test and Service Partner Program offer at the minimum of two test bikes from different partner brands, so that potential eBike customers can experience continuous variable and automatic shifting on extensive test rides. Furthermore the sales and service staff of the shops is trained and certified to offer repairs and even warranty service, which is unusual in the bike industry.
"We are very pleased to be working with NuVinci Cycling as Test and Service Partner," said Timothy Chamizo owner of Chamizo Fietsen, Sint-Katelijne-Waver (Belgium). "Our customers enjoy our better knowledge about the NuVinci Optimized products, and they can easily test ride to get to know the product. If a problem should arise, we can help more easily with our trained technicians and the large stock of parts from the NuVinci Service Box (which is part of the Partner program)."
After a very successful start in the Benelux, the program will now be extended to the German market. In a first step NuVinci Cycling will establish 120 partners in Germany. The selection of potential shops has already started and several bike manufacturers such as Cannondale, Bergamont, Stevens, Riese & Müller, Flyer, Hartje (Victoria, i:SY), AT Zweirad (Velo de Ville) and Winora (Sinus) have already committed to support the placement of test bikes in partner shops.
NuVinci Cycling's Dealer Development Manager Europe, Martijn Hofstede, stated "It's great to see the enthusiasm and professionalism of our participating partners. NuVinci Cycling has a unique technology, which you have to experience and consumers want professional product information and perfect service. This is exactly what our partners can offer and that will give them a competitive advantage."
To support the expansion into Germany, NuVinci Cycling added two new Dealer Development Representatives, reporting to Hofstede, who are visiting preselected shops to offer partnership participation.
Stuart Norquoy will support the northern part of Germany. He has been in the cycling industry for many years and will support the partner program with extensive experience. Most recently he worked as area Sales Representative for Heinz Kettler GMBH & CO. KG. Previously he worked for Hartje, Tehava, Shock Therapie and Amer Sports. Stuart joined NuVinci Cycling on December 1, 2015.
Marcel Müsel will support the southern part of Germany. He has significant experience in both the bicycle trade and related consumer goods. Most recently, Müsel worked for Bike-Fun as the Customer Service, Service and Warranty Manager. Before that, he worked for Intersport, Louis Motorcycle and as sales representative freelancer for Northwave, Biogrips and Biomex and had his own shop. Marcel joined NuVinci Cycling on January 18, 2016.
NuVinci Cycling Test and Service Partners can be found on www.nuvincicycling.com (NL language version) where there is an interactive map tool.
NuVinci Cycling Test and Service Partner shops are identified by a dedicated emblem, which NuVinci Cycling offers to all partners. Certified shops take part in an incentive program and receive marketing support from NuVinci Cycling upon request.
About Fallbrook Technologies
Fallbrook Technologies is the developer of the patented NuVinci® continuously variable planetary (CVP) technology, which can improve the performance and efficiency of machines that use a transmission, including vehicles, stationary equipment, bicycles, and others.
The NuVinci technology transforms Gears into Spheres™ by using a set of rotating spheres between the input and output components of a transmission. Tilting the spheres changes their contact diameters and varies the speed ratio. NuVinci CVPs can be configured to replace multiple planetary gears, providing significant efficiency and performance improvement in a compact package. The NuVinci technology offers companies the flexibility to design and produce next-generation products that are better-tailored to their unique business, market, and competitive requirements. Major automotive transmission suppliers have licensed the NuVinci technology for the development of automotive class drivetrains, and a market-leading supplier has licensed the technology and is developing NuVinciOptimizedTM transmissions for electric and gasoline light vehicle applications.
The first commercial products incorporating the technology were the N360™ bicycle transmission and the Harmony™ auto-shifting system for bicycles incorporating the N360. Current NuVinci Optimized cycling products include the NfinityTM and Harmony group sets, which comprise newer versions of the transmissions and controllers.
Fallbrook has built an extensive portfolio of over 700 patents and patent applications worldwide. For more information, visit www.fallbrooktech.com.