This may help a few out ...
From Enduro21.com
" Pierer Industrie AG are the new owners of Husqvarna Motorcycles...
The devil is in the detail, as they say. Following on from Enduro21.com’s announcement yesterday that BMW would be making an imminent announcement about new owners of the Husqvarna Motorcycles brand, here it is – information on BMW’s announcement and, more importantly, details of who the new owners are!
Careful how we worded yesterday’s news, those with a keener eye might have noticed that Enduro21.com were, as far as we’ve seen, the only site not to say that KTM would be/were rumoured to be the new owners of Husqvarna. We had good reason to think that wasn’t going to be the case, and we were correct.
Pierer Industrie AG, a stand alone company set-up and owned by Mr Stefan Pierer, has, with immediate effect, acquired and taken over in full Husqvarna Motorcycles. The company, the recently modernised factory in Varese, all parts, stock and staffing are now owned/controlled by Pierer Industrie AG.
Enduro21.com understands that during the next six months Pierer Industrie AG will evaluate the co-operation potential with the KTM/Husaberg group.
But possibly the most interesting piece of news is that it is expected that the Husqvarna Motorcycle brand will be re-launched later this year. Exactly what the re-launching will entail we don’t yet know. But the most likely place for this is the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, November 7-10. That gives Pierer Industrie AG time, but not a lot of time, to get their house in order and to implement their master plan.
As with any major acquisition within EU borders we don’t expect Pierer Industrie AG to be able to make much in the way of serious progress in the coming weeks and months due to EU rules and regulations. In this case most likely the EU Anti Trust Authorities – put in place to ensure free competition prevails, and to stop cartels monopolising markets.
And so the next chapter in Husqvarna’s chequered history begins. While we now have the answer to the ‘who’s going to acquire Husqvarna’ question what everyone now awaits is information regarding what’s next? What does Pierer Industrie AG have planned for Husky?
Taking KTM from bankruptcy to be the off-road powerhouse it is today, Mr Pierer – CEO of KTM Sportmotorcycle AG – has a successful business track record that is second to none. He’ll have a definitive plan of attack, of that we can be sure. What that plan of attack is remains to be seen…
More when we have it.
The following is the BMW Group Press Release
Strategic realignment at BMW Motorrad
31.01.2013
Sale of Husqvarna Motorcycles to Pierer Industrie AG
Munich. The BMW Group is realigning its BMW Motorrad business. In the context of changing motorcycle markets, demographic trends and increasing environmental demands, BMW Motorrad will expand its product offering to exploit future growth potential. The focus of the realignment will be on urban mobility and e-mobility. By restructuring the segment, the BMW Group will concentrate on expanding and utilising the resources of the BMW Motorrad brand. Therefore the BMW Group signed a purchase agreement with Pierer Industrie AG (Austria) for the acquisition of Husqvarna Motorcycles. The acquisition will proceed subject to approval by anti-trust authorities. Both companies have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.
Expanded offering for urban mobility and e-mobility
BMW Motorrad achieved a new sales record in 2012. With the realignment of its motorcycle business, BMW Motorrad aims to maintain profitable and sustainable growth over the coming years. Its current core business consists exclusively of premium vehicles in the categories “Tourer”, “Enduro”, “Sport”, “Roadster” and “Maxi-Scooter” from 650 to 1600 cc. BMW Motorrad entered the urban mobility segment for the first time in 2012 with the C 650 GT and C 600 Sport maxi-scooters. The next step in the expansion of the product line-up in this segment will be the series launch of the “C evolution” electric scooter in 2014. Further innovative vehicle concepts are also under consideration. Drive trains will include both environmentally-friendly combustion engines and pure electric drives. This move by BMW Motorrad reflects the BMW Group’s overall focus on early identification of trends, such as megacities and traffic density, as well as environmental issues. Corresponding products and services are already available for the Automobile segment. "