Press release (13.03.2023)
SCHWALBE ACHIEVES ANOTHER RECORD TURNOVER IN THE ANNIVERSARY YEAR
DECLINE IN SALES EXPECTED FOR 2023, MEDIUM-TERM PERSPECTIVE DETERMINED BY CONFIDENCE
In 2022, Schwalbe increased its sales to EUR 335 million and thus achieved growth of more than 20 percent compared to the previous year (EUR 277 million). This means that Schwalbe can report another record value in the year of the brand's 50th birthday.
Frank Bohle, CEO of Ralf Bohle GmbH, which stands behind Schwalbe:
“The past financial year marks another chapter in the success story that we at Schwalbe have been writing for 50 years now. This development makes me very happy. The basis for this is, above all, our high-quality products and our constant love of innovation.”
One success factor last year was the consistently high demand for e-bikes, especially in the touring and urban sectors, but also for e-MTBs. Schwalbe convinces with a wide and high-quality product range.
At the same time, the family business has focused even more on the topic of corporate responsibility over the past year. The official launch of the Schwalbe Recycling System in Germany marks a milestone. Previously, used bicycle tires were burned. Now Schwalbe is the first and only manufacturer worldwide to not only take them back through specialist retailers, but also to recycle them and use them for the production of new Schwalbe products. This functioning circular economy will reach its next peak in June 2023, when the first bicycle tire made from used tires, among other things, will be presented.
With the publication of the first CSR report in 2022, Schwalbe officially anchored the topic of ecological and social responsibility as a whole in the company and formulated concrete, measurable goals for the next few years. One example of social commitment is the newly founded children's council, which gives children and young people a voice in the company. You decide independently which children's aid projects Schwalbe should support and to what extent.
Decline in sales expected, medium-term perspective positive
For the 2023 financial year, Schwalbe expects a drop in sales in the lower double-digit percentage range. This is mainly due to the overall economic situation and the consumer sentiment that has been clouded by war and inflation. In addition, there are industry-specific factors such as high inventory levels at all levels of trade. In the medium to long term, the company is optimistic about the future: "External factors are clouding the outlook for this year, but I am convinced that the bicycle industry will continue its extremely positive development of the past few years in the medium term. There is no getting around the mobility turnaround, even if we naturally want things to move faster,” says Bohle.
50 years Schwalbe
The company behind Schwalbe was founded in Bergneustadt in 1922 by the brothers Eugen and Willy Bohle. It initially exported German-made bicycle components. In 1955, the second generation, Ralf Bohle, who gave the GmbH its name, joined the company. In 1973, Frank Bohle's father made the groundbreaking decision to focus exclusively on bicycle tires. For this he designed a new branded product, which was characterized by special quality and high durability. In the Korean family company Hung-A, he found a joint venture partner that consistently met his high standards. To this day, Schwalbe continues to set standards with its innovations and, as Europe's market leader for bicycle tires, continues a 50-year success story.
Frank Bohle: “We have persistently listened to what the market wants. At the same time, we have been focusing on the bike for five decades and have always stayed with the product, which has made us strong. In order to live up to our claim to be the innovation leader, we continue to develop ourselves and our tires every day.”
204 employees now work at the company headquarters in Reichshof, Oberberg. A new hybrid building was completed there in 2021, which was built entirely according to sustainability criteria. A further 68 employees work in subsidiaries in France, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands and North America.
Schwalbe distributes its products worldwide. The tyres and inner tubes are produced together with the production partner Hung-A, whose production facilities are located in Indonesia and Vietnam. The two companies are not only linked by a joint venture, but also by a 50-year friendship that is unparalleled in the industry.
At the same time, the family business has focused even more on the topic of corporate responsibility over the past year. The official launch of the Schwalbe Recycling System in Germany marks a milestone. Previously, used bicycle tires were burned. Now Schwalbe is the first and only manufacturer worldwide to not only take them back through specialist retailers, but also to recycle them and use them for the production of new Schwalbe products. This functioning circular economy will reach its next peak in June 2023, when the first bicycle tire made from used tires, among other things, will be presented.
With the publication of the first CSR report in 2022, Schwalbe officially anchored the topic of ecological and social responsibility as a whole in the company and formulated concrete, measurable goals for the next few years. One example of social commitment is the newly founded children's council, which gives children and young people a voice in the company. You decide independently which children's aid projects Schwalbe should support and to what extent.
Decline in sales expected, medium-term perspective positive
For the 2023 financial year, Schwalbe expects a drop in sales in the lower double-digit percentage range. This is mainly due to the overall economic situation and the consumer sentiment that has been clouded by war and inflation. In addition, there are industry-specific factors such as high inventory levels at all levels of trade. In the medium to long term, the company is optimistic about the future: "External factors are clouding the outlook for this year, but I am convinced that the bicycle industry will continue its extremely positive development of the past few years in the medium term. There is no getting around the mobility turnaround, even if we naturally want things to move faster,” says Bohle.
50 years Schwalbe
The company behind Schwalbe was founded in Bergneustadt in 1922 by the brothers Eugen and Willy Bohle. It initially exported German-made bicycle components. In 1955, the second generation, Ralf Bohle, who gave the GmbH its name, joined the company. In 1973, Frank Bohle's father made the groundbreaking decision to focus exclusively on bicycle tires. For this he designed a new branded product, which was characterized by special quality and high durability. In the Korean family company Hung-A, he found a joint venture partner that consistently met his high standards. To this day, Schwalbe continues to set standards with its innovations and, as Europe's market leader for bicycle tires, continues a 50-year success story.
Frank Bohle: “We have persistently listened to what the market wants. At the same time, we have been focusing on the bike for five decades and have always stayed with the product, which has made us strong. In order to live up to our claim to be the innovation leader, we continue to develop ourselves and our tires every day.”
204 employees now work at the company headquarters in Reichshof, Oberberg. A new hybrid building was completed there in 2021, which was built entirely according to sustainability criteria. A further 68 employees work in subsidiaries in France, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands and North America.
Schwalbe distributes its products worldwide. The tyres and inner tubes are produced together with the production partner Hung-A, whose production facilities are located in Indonesia and Vietnam. The two companies are not only linked by a joint venture, but also by a 50-year friendship that is unparalleled in the industry.
Further information
Schwalbe UK LTD
Press Office
Hortonwood 30 | Shropshire TF1 7ET Telford
Phone: +441952602680 | press@schwalbe.com
www.schwalbe.com/en