Pan-European motorcycle, scooter and ATV distributor KSR Group, which primarily relied on various Chinese-sourced products and once boasted up to 60,000 new bike sales annually, is back in business after its creditors approved court-administered restructuring measures.
This family-owned enterprise, based at Gedersdorf in Lower Austria, had placed itself in the external management hands of insolvency practictioner Christoph Sauer, appointed by the Krems an der Donau District Court in early September last year. The move to enter administration was apparently taken after leading Chinese manufacturer CFMoto switched its exclusive European distributive allegiances from KSR to KTM, Husqvarna and GasGas manufacturer Pierer Mobility. Previously, KSR claimed to be the biggest supplier of ATVs in German-speaking countries and esewhere in Europe, due to its CFMoto relationship.
More than 140 jobs have been saved and, as Sauer’s role as restructuring manager ended with the court release order, KSR says it can now make independent business decisions again, adapting more flexibly to economic conditions.
According to KSR Group managing directors Michael and Christian Kirschenhofer, reorganisation will see Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Greece and Belgium remain as core mobility markets supplied through their established dealer networks. But other countries will now be handled via importers. Reduction in markets and brands should create leaner structures and more cost efficiencies, they hope. In global sales, the focus will be on KSR’s wholly-owned Malaguti and Brixton brands, presumably produced in China. KSR acquired the defunct Italian Malaguti brand in 2018.
“The foundation for a successful future has been laid,” said the Kirschenhofer brothers in a statement. “This was made possible, on the one hand, by the willingness of our business partners to cooperate and, on the other hand, by the great support of our employees. We would like to thank everyone involved for their trust and we can now be full of optimism for the next steps.”