Simon Ford becomes Abus Sales and Marketing lead
Simon Ford has departed Velobrands to become the Abus Sales and Marketing Director for the UK and Ireland.
Simon will head up the sales and marketing activities in the UK and Ireland markets, working closely with established ABUS UK based representative Roger Seal, enabling increased contact with key customers and additional support to its distribution partners Extra UK for the cycle trade and Feridax UK for the motorcycle trade.
Simon joins ABUS with a wealth of previous experience in the UK cycling market having held senior sales and marketing positions and with a proven track record of delivering success. Most recently he held the Managing Director role at Velobrands, while prior to that he was with the brand’s distributor Extra UK for near 19 years.
Commenting on his appointment, Simon said, “It is a genuine privilege for me to be able to take up this appointment with ABUS. During my career in the industry, I have always been impressed with ABUS, their product range and exceptional quality, but for me, and I hope our customers, what is perhaps more important is the genuine ABUS spirit. Knowing you are working for a company that has such high standards in everything they do, from product quality and innovation, all the way to the aftermarket support is a huge advantage. ABUS are not just exceptional in the products and services they provide, but also how they apply their core values in their relationships with customers, suppliers, and employees.”
The appointment comes at an exciting time for the business, which is soon to relocate its UK HQ to a new location just south of Bristol. The new UK facility increases warehouse space, improves the working environment, and has additional space for showrooms and guest services.
Axel Roesler, ABUS International Sales Director commented, “We welcome Simon Ford to our team in the UK with great pleasure. The UK has always been a very important market for ABUS. Knowing Simon for many years we are excited to increase our presence in the UK. Together with Roger Seal and the UK team we can focus on our Made in Germany locks and on our Made in Italy helmets. Unlike many brands ABUS manufactures in-house in our own facilities, which is a huge benefit for our customers in the UK with production guarantees and easy supply chains. “
ABUS UK can be contacted at 0117 204 7000. Simon can be contacted at [email protected]