Lezyne products stand for engineered design and have won numerous awards since the beginning. The manufacturer is now awarding distribution rights for the Danish market to Alexander Müllmann’s sales organization. The Edewecht-based distributor is thus further expanding its activities in Europe.

When former professional triathlete Micki Kozuscheck founded Lezyne in 2007, he wanted to take the product design of bicycle accessories to a new level. The pursuit of perfect function and premium looks still drives the innovative company today. Lezyne manufactures under this guiding philosophy, among other things, pumps, lamps, multitools, tubeless accessories and CO2 systems, as well as GPS devices. The products are designed by American and Taiwanese engineers together as a team.

The distribution in Denmark entrusts Lezyne from now on the company Sport Import – in 2021 initially non-exclusively, then from 01.01.2022 as the exclusive distributor for the Scandinavian country. Lezyne and Sport Import have already been working together successfully in the German market since 2014. With the expanded cooperation in Denmark, Lezyne relies on a well-known, powerful partner with over 35 years of experience. For Sport Import GmbH, the step represents an important and at the same time logical expansion of its European sales activities: Lezyne is an integral and steadily growing part of its portfolio.

Not new, but finally back: Verde is not a blank piece of paper. Founded in 2007, Verde caused quite a stir. With a lot of color, the Americans cleaned up the BMX market, which was dominated by black at the time. A large fan community quickly formed. With falling demand for BMX bikes, Verde said goodbye to the European market in 2012. Now the eight-year dry spell ends.

An old contact and a common opinion ensured that Verde and Sport Import agreed to work together in 2020. The way back to Europe was a done deal. The choice is only logical for both: Sport Import’s roots lie in Berlin in the 1980s. That’s where it all began for the wholesaler, now based in Edewecht near Oldenburg, with the import of BMX bikes.

The first Verde delivery as part of the new connection is now on its way. The BMX scene can look forward to fresh wheels: Simple, clean, classic. That’s the promise of Verde’s slogan. They can be purchased through Sport Import’s stationary dealers throughout Europe as well as online retailers.

Being a reliable partner for the retailers also means making the processes as simple as possible. With this in mind, Sport Import has been consistently pushing ahead with digitalisation for years. The distributor from Edewecht relies on customised systems from its own IT department. They see themselves much more flexibly positioned than would be possible with standard solutions.

“Digitalisation is not an end in itself for us. We love and live personal contact with our dealers. However, this does not exclude that we set up our processes digitally and lean – quite the opposite,” says Ralf Fischer, Managing Director of Sport Import GmbH. Through this approach, contact with the specialist dealers is concentrated on professional exchange and advice. Fischer runs the company alongside Alexander and Michael Müllmann and is responsible for accounting, IT, logistics and service.

Having already introduced e-billing last year, paperless shipping is the obvious next step. In addition to eliminating the printing of packing lists, the project has other advantages for the dealer: Every package that leaves the warehouse in Edewecht now receives its own SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code). This can be scanned by the retailer using a QR code and leads directly to the packing list in the B2B shop’s customer account. This way, the recipient can see at a glance which items can be found in which box. Incoming goods at the retailer are thus optimised. In addition, less paper is used and thereby the ecological footprint is reduced.

“Our dealers are very heterogeneous. We always have an open ear and implement our digitalisation projects in a way that makes things easier for everyone,” says Fischer. If, despite the advantages, a partner still needs the packing lists in paper form, this is possible with a click in the settings of the B2B shop. However, the feedback from the trade is very positive: only a fraction of Sport Import’s 3,500 dealers make use of this opt-in.

After one of their tours, the three Czech cycling fanatics Josef, Milan and Ondřej decided that they would take high-quality nutrition for their passion into their own hands from then on. Simply because the products on the market were not good enough for them. However, the search for the right recipe was not just about good taste. The ambition to use only natural and high-quality ingredients has been consistently pursued from the very beginning. The chimpanzee symbolizes a strong and nature-loving athlete in this context. In addition to energy and protein bars, the product range now also includes chews, gels, isotonic drinks and shakes. In this way, all phases of training – from preparation to regeneration and muscle building – are covered.

Chimpanzee avoids artificial colors and other additives as well as industrial sugar. As an alternative, the Czechs use rice syrup. This results in a favorable glycemic index for the products and an even energy supply for the athlete, which shows that good taste and performance are uncompromisingly brought into harmony here. Almost all products from Chimpanzee are vegan. Chimpanzee’s slogan “Eat well, go far” sums up the founding idea.

As holistic as the concept is conceived, as comprehensible is also the ambition to protect the environment: All products are produced in the EU. This eliminates long transport routes and keeps the ecological footprint small. The three bikers show that they are serious with their commitment to “1% for the planet”: one percent of Chimpanzee turnover is donated to NGOs dedicated to environmental protection.

Chimpanzee products are now distributed by the German bicycle distributor Sport Import in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Austria. They can be purchased through Sport Import’s stationary dealers located there as well as online retailers.