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East coast company buys one of the oldest Pacific Northwest mountain bike brands.
Kona has a new owner. The Pacific Northwest bike brand, popular for its trail and enduro frames, has been acquired by an outdoor activity holding company.
Kent Outdoors has bought Kona for an undisclosed sum. Although the Pacific Northwest brand is now owned by a company based in New Jersey, not much should change regarding the engineering or product planning structure.
This latest chapter is a new direction for Kona, which started out as a tiny bike brand back in 1988, based in Vancouver.
The new boss, is a bike person
For those Kona riders who might be concerned about the brands future, some words from the new owner, should assuage any doubts.
Kent Outdoors CEO, Ken Meidell, is an experienced mountain biker, with off-road cycling experiences that go way back. “I’ve been riding mountain bikes since the days of coaster brakes. I started with fully rigid forays into the forests where I grew up and the stoke never really left. Working with Kona fulfils a dream of mine, and I can’t wait to help bring more iconic bikes to cyclists all over the world.”
Recognizing the value of continuity in product design, marketing and operations, Kona will retain all current staff. Its founders Dan Gerhard, Jake Heilbron, and Jimbo Holmstrom, will also continue in their traditional roles.
Whether you are taken by the idea of a carbon Process or Honzo ESD hardcore hardtail, Kona’s product planning should remain both stable and evolving, in the years to come.