Hermann Hartje acquires Ebsen Bikes

European wholesaler Hermann Hartje has acquired Ebsen Bikes of Denmark, creating a sub-company under the Hartje Ebsen A/S banner.

As of January 6th, 2020, the Ebsen family transferred all their shares in their company to become Hartje’s fourth sub-company. They will still act as a distinct company, but with with the backing of a major enterprise.

Hartje is a family business, in existence since 1895 and is one of the leading producers and wholesalers of bicycles and parts in Germany, Austria and the Benelux states.

The firm is well known for the brands Victoria, Conway, Excelsior and Contoura, as well as acting as exclusive distributors for Tern, i:SY and numerous accessory brands in parts of Europe. In the UK some of those brands are on offer via Black Lion Bikes.

While the business has a strong presence in Germany, Austria and the Benelux states, the firm is much smaller in Denmark. Ebsen Bikes A/S on the other hand look back on 26 successful years on the Danish Market where their brands Ebsen, EBS and Remington enjoy a strong reputation.

“We have been looking for an opportunity to grow our business and found it in Hartje”, says Peter Stricker Ebsen, who together with his wife Lone Enemark Ebsen, leads the business with seven employees. “There are limitations if you want to enter the e-Bike market and want to do it right. That was our original motivation talking to Hartje, but we quickly found that we could do so much more together. This really is a quantum leap in possibilities for us. Our aim is to put our insight into the Scandinavian market to use on a larger scale”.

It is the same for Hermann Hartje and Dirk Zwick, just the other way round: “We started from zero in Denmark several years ago. However, in terms of design and specifications we weren’t really catering to the specific needs and wants of customers. Working with the Ebsen family now allows us to make a giant leap forward”, says owner and CEO Hermann Hartje, who has been in the company for over 50 years.

COO Dirk Zwick ads: “We and the Ebsens easily connected as we share the same passion for the bicycle business. Hartje Ebsen A/S gives both partners what they have been looking for to expand their businesses, it’s like pieces of a puzzle coming together.”

While Hartje customers in Denmark are still supplied by the German “mothership”, the sub-company will gradually take over responsibilities.

As Hartje Ebsen A/S becomes their fourth sub-company, Hartje is developing into an enterprise group. “Hartje Asia” in Taipei, Taiwan, works as a trading office, handling about 100 suppliers in the East. The “eBike GmbH” in Ebbs, Austria, offers hotels an all-inclusive solution in the field of e-bike rentals. Furthermore, the “Hartje e-factory s.r.o.” in Zábřeh, Czech Republic, produces a part of Hartje’s e-bikes.