is a brand of Bohle Editorial World Edition 1 I 2011 n May n 8th year Dear Schwalbe Partner! None of our company’s products better embodies the Schwalbe cor- porate spirit like the Marathon tire does. It stands for longevity, quality and innovation. But it’s even more than that: the Marathon symbolizes the emancipation of the bicycle industry in Germany and in many countries throughout the world. At first we were derided, but we persevered with determination and conviction and today, just like the Aiming high: Andy industry itself, we can be proud of Schleck (center) and our solid market position. We are Jens Voigt (right) now launching the 5th generation of from the Leopard-Trek our long-distance runner – a wor- Race Team. Foto-Roth thy new edition, befitting our most important tire: innovative, sustain- Photo: able and more durable than ever before (page 4). But it isn’t just the Marathon, but rather in general the demand A surprisingly good combination: for bicycles is growing. More bikes are being ridden in Germany, in Europe and in North America. By Leopard and Schwalbe contrast, however, the focus of worldwide bicycle production lies Schwalbe is the tire sponsor of Luxemburg’s newest race team Leopard-Trek. The team in Asia. We opened a new logistics center in Indonesia in March, in that world governing body UCI has straightaway ranked number one has ambitious goals: order to shorten lead-times and “We want to win the 2011 tour”, says twice tour runner-up Andy Schleck. support manufacturers producing there (page 3). “We are very pleased to be associated as suppliers as World Time-Trial Champion, Fabian Cancellara, Yours sincerely, with such a strong international team from the very will lead the team, joined by German professional ri- outset“, says Doris Klytta, responsible for Schwalbe’s ders Linus Gerdemann, Fabian Wegmann, Jens Voigt, PR and sponsoring. Before the team was officially and Robert Wagner. Co-sponsor is bicycle manu- announced in January 2011, there had been six facturer Trek, USA. The tire choice is Schwalbe. long months of careful rider and material selection. The requirement of Leopard-Trek’s team Frank Bohle Luxemburg brothers Fränk and Andy Schleck as well managers was a tire partner interested in a par- Faster delivery for To celebrate the 25th Wheels for the world: OEMs: Schwalbe opens anniversary of its Mara- “Prana” cargo bikes a new logistics center thon tire, Schwalbe is can be found in the in Indonesia. launching a new gene- most unusual places ration. right around the globe. PAGE 3 PAGE 4 PAGE 8 2 Sales The first win for the new Leopard-Trek Race Team: Dominic Klemme (24) was triumphant at the Le Samyn GP in Belgium. Foto-Roth Photo: A surprisingly months, together with the Leopard-Trek riders, he will develop among other things a further tubular good combination: tire. “We are focused on the trend towards using Leopard and Schwalbe wider rims, as well as meeting the team’s specific request to also use various tire widths – originally intended exclusively for the classic races – in all the other road races”, reveals Lademann, himself a cycling pro up until 2008. ticularly intensive collaboration. And it was precisely “An ideal mix of speed, this point that swayed the decision in favor of the puncture protection and grip” Schwalbe concept. The tire technicians work extre- “The Ultremo tires provide excellent protection mely closely with the riders, actively including them against road hazards while feeling super fast on the in their tire development programs. A further convin- road,” states Ricardo Scheidecker, the Leopard-Trek cing part of the concept was Schwalbe Race Support. Technical Manager: “This tire provides our riders At major races and tours as well as on training runs with an ideal mix of speed and puncture protection, Material experts gathered Schwalbe’s Product Manager, Christian Lademann, as well as exceptional grip that gives them lots of together: Christian Lademann is always in attendance. “We are presently accompa- confidence even when negotiating difficult alpine (left), Schwalbe Race Support, nying the spring classic races. This is where the 25C descents and sharp corners leading into a sprint.” and Jens Voigt. version of our hand-made Ultremo HT tires is being These features of the Ultremo HT (handmade tubu- put to the test,” reports Lademann. Over the coming lar) can be attributed to the special construction: it combines classical Italian manufacturing methods with high-end materials such as the new RaceStar Schwalbe-Tour-Transalp triple compound. “This compound is presently the The most spectacular European stage race for amateur cyclists is now called the Schwalbe- benchmark in tire technology! No other bicycle tire Tour-Transalp. “The Tour-Transalp, spread over seven days, is without doubt the most well manufacturer can combine rubber mixtures in a organized tour for amateur racers. We are extremely delighted to be able to support such a tire so purposefully in series production”, explains unique and renowned stage-race with our brand”, says Holger Jahn, Schwalbe’s Technical Lademann. Schwalbe has become renowned for such Director, who has already taken part in the race several times. “As a result, we can put the qua- triple compounding, where only the combination of lity of our products to the test under the most extreme conditions and gear them directly to the mixtures can ensure the best performance. “It is our targeted application.” Running from 26 June to 2 July the Schwalbe-Tour-Transalp will again aim to constantly improve our products,“ says Doris attract around 1,300 racing enthusiasts to the Alps. The Tour, comprising seven daily stages, Klytta. “In this respect the experience gained from starts at Sonthofen, Germany and will take the riders professional racing is invaluable to us. We believe through the Austrian and Italian Alps to Arco near Lake that in the Leopard-Trek Race Team we have found Garda. This year Holger Jahn and Schwalbe’s Product the ideal partner.” Manager Carsten Zahn will again take part. Holger Jahn: “When, at the end of this long and arduous week, you catch a glimpse of Lake Garda for the first time, you get a sense of real joy, but tinged with some degree of sadness because it is finally over.” www.tourtransalp.de. schwalbe profil 1 2011 Sales 3 Brand new and squeaky clean: Schwalbe Asia: Individual the logistics center prior to commissioning in March. deliveries for OEM customers This March Schwalbe opened a new logistics center in Indonesia: PT. Schwalbe Asia. Alongside the headquarters in Reichshof-Wehnrath near Cologne (Germany) and the subsidiaries in the Netherlands and Great Britain, it is the fourth worldwide logistics center. As a result, the lead times for OEM customers have been significantly reduced. The Far East region is the bicycle smithy for markets throughout the entire world. All the major manufac- turers and thousands of smaller bicycle and compo- nent suppliers largely produce in Taiwan and in other states of the region. “The delivery time of our tires for the local OEM customers has now been reduced by several weeks”, Nico Simons, OEM Sales Manager at the headquar- ters in Germany is keen to emphasize. The reason is that for the first time Schwalbe Asia will allow despatch from stock in Asia whereas, previously production was “on-demand”. This brings a range of benefits to OEM customers who have their products manufactured, or assembled in Southeast Asia. They Petrus J. Muda, General Manager of Schwalbe Asia. The new logistics center is located can be supplied in tune with their specific needs and directly next to the Schwalbe production they no longer have to purchase the merchandise in The technology, electrics and EDP system were even facility in Jakarta, Indonesia. larger batch quantities. “Of course, the prerequisite installed by German technicians – but without neg- for this is a corresponding forecast,” Simons adds. lecting to consider the local peculiarities and country Schwalbe now supplies entirely individual quan- specifics. For instance, an electricity supply indepen- tities of individual items, also relatively smaller quan- dent of the power grid was set up in order to ensure tities of individual products and sizes. This was some- that stocking and destocking always runs smoothly thing of a problem, especially at the end of the season despite the occasional power failure. Bespoke soft- when only smaller quantities were required. Moreover, ware tracks inventory management and warehousing it is now possible to respond to subsequent orders of merchandise right across the globe. The route with much greater flexibility. In the new warehouse – taken by every single Marathon, or Evolution Line tire based on the forecast – a certain stock can always be is entirely traceable via barcode scanning and track- held ready. At the same time the customer has less ing. The equipping of the work-stations complies with capital tied up in his own warehouse facility. European standards as well. The new logistics center is located directly next “Schwalbe Asia opens up a host of opportunities to the Schwalbe plant in Jakarta, Indonesia, a joint for the Asian and global market,” says Frank Bohle, The building, working areas venture between Schwalbe-Ralf Bohle GmbH and Managing Director of Ralf Bohle GmbH, Germany. and the IT system comply with manufacturing company Hung-A. Up until now tires “We can now meet our customers’ sport article European standards. and tubes were sent to the logistics headquarters in needs more quickly and with greater flexibility. We Reichshof-Wehnrath, or in direct containers to the are thus able to stay abreast of the international OEM customers. trend: more and more people are taking to their What is remarkable is the equipping of the new bikes throughout the world – and we wish to play an subsidiary PT.