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Knolly Frames and Other Inventory go to Auction Shortly Following Restructuring Announcement
Just a handful of weeks ago, we covered the unfortunate news that Canadian-based Knolly Bikes entered a restructuring period. The announcement came after Knollys bank called in its account, forcing action.Knolly founder and CEO, Noel Buckley, addressed the restructuring in a March 19th press release:Im going to keep this simple because you deserve that.The last few years have been the hardest this industry has ever seen, and Knolly has not been immune. But we have been fighting through it: restructuring costs, tightening operations, and doing the difficult work of right-sizing the business to match a new reality. We were making progress.That progress was cut short. Our bank, RBC, has made the decision to call in our account. This comes at a time when RBC is posting record annual profits, $20.4 billion last fiscal year. RBC has been consolidating aggressively, and small businesses like ours are feeling the consequences. In an already concentrated Canadian banking landscape, the options for companies in our position are narrowing, not widening.Im not here to litigate our banks priorities. But when a business is doing the hard work of recovery and its lender chooses to write down the account rather than work through it while posting the most profitable year in Canadian banking history the community that supports us deserves to know that.I want to be direct about what this means and what it doesnt.What it means: We are now in a position where we must evaluate all restructuring options to determine the best path forward. That process is underway. I expect to have more clarity within the coming weeks and will share it as soon as I have it.What it doesnt mean: This is not an obituary. I started Knolly in a garage because I believed I could build a better bike. I still believe that. The question in front of me right now isnt whether Knolly should exist- its what Knolly needs to look like to keep existing. We have been in active development and on the cusp of releasing several new models before these recent events occurred.Our highest priorities right now are two things: taking care of our staff, and taking care of our active customers. Those are the people who have put their trust in us most directly, and they will be at the centre of every decision we make from here. At this time we are confident that we wont leave any customers hanging: we have already satisfied the vast majority of open orders and are actively resolving the few that remain.To our dealers: you have been the backbone of this brand. Im not going to make promises I cant keep today, but protecting those relationships is central to every conversation were having.To our riders: your bikes are not going anywhere. Knolly frames are built to outlast trends- that was always the point. I will keep you informed, honestly and without spin. Thats the only way I know how to do this.More to follow.Knolly AuctionWe hoped that Knolly might be able to weather the storm, as wed seen with brands like Rocky Mountain. However, that doesnt seem to be the case, as a multitude of the brands inventory is currently being auctioned off.The auction includes frames from Knolly (of course), but also shocks, saddles, droppers, tires, brakesyou name it, its likely on there. RockShox, SRAM, Shimano, Fox, Maxxis, etc.And it doesnt stop at bike components. Work benches, desks, tools, a folding dolly, interlocking floor matsit seems that if it was at Knollys headquarters, it is now for sale. Ten pages of inventory on the auctioneers website and hundreds (maybe a thousand?) of products.The auction is happening now, check it out here. It looks like it will go until May 25th.If were being frank, this sucks. We are saddened to see what looks to be the end of such an iconic brand. We hope the best for everyone at Knolly.The post Knolly Frames and Other Inventory go to Auction Shortly Following Restructuring Announcement appeared first on Bikerumor.
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