Pon Holdings

Pon Holdings BV is a Dutch conglomerate in the transportation sector. It is one of the five largest bicycle manufacturers in the world, and owns bicycle brands Caloi, Cannondale, Cervélo, Derby Cycle (owner of Focus), GT, Gazelle, IronHorse, Kalkhoff, Mongoose, Santa Cruz, Veloretti, and Schwinn, among others.

The company was founded in 1980 by Ben Pon, Jr., a former racing car driver and son of Ben Pon Sr., who became the importer of Volkswagen in the Netherlands in 1947. As of 2021 it is still owned by the Pon family.

Activities

Automotive

Pon Holdings operates in the automotive and transport sectors through many subsidiaries, involved in activities, such as:

• Distribution of consumer automotive brands in the Netherlands: Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, Škoda, Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti and Porsche
• Distribution of commercial vehicles in the Netherlands: MAN, Caterpillar and Motrac
• Importer of Continental products
• Operator of several garages
• Owner of Reifen Gundlach, Summa Tyre and Euro-Tyre
• Car leasing, such as Dutchlease

Cycling

Pon owns Cervélo, Derby Cycle (owner of Focus Bikes), Dorel Sports (parent company of Cannondale, Schwinn, GT Bicycles, Mongoose, Caloi, and IronHorse), Gazelle, Kalkhoff, Union, Santa Cruz Bicycles (owner of Reserve Wheels), Swapfiets, Veloretti, and others.

History

• 1986: Takeover importership of SEAT
• 1988: Takeover of Transmark Groep, Motrac (Linde)
• 1992: Takeover importership of Škoda
• 1995: Founding of BelCompany in cooperation with Macintosh Retail Group
• 1998: Founding of Pon North America
• 2003: Takeover of Geveke N.V., Founding of Pon Equipment & Power Systems
• 2005: Founding of Pon Logistic Solutions, Shanghai, China
• 2011: Takeover of Gazelle
• 2011: Takeover importership of Cervélo.
• 2013: Acquisition of Callidus Group
• 2015: Acquisition of Santa Cruz Bicycles
• 2015: Takeover of Imtech Marine
• 2019: Acquisition of Urban Arrow
• 2021: Acquisition of Mike's Bikes (a 12 store San Francisco Bay Area bicycle retailer)
• 2021: Acquisition of Dorel Sports
• 2022: Takeover of Veloretti

Pre-dating Pon Holding

In 1895 Mijndert Pon, father of Ben Pon (senior) operated a vehicle repairshop. His sons Ben and Wijnand took ownership of the company.

• 1931: Founding of Pon's Automobielhandel (by then a chain of car dealerships) by Ben and his brother Wijnand Pon
• 1936: importership Continental AG and Federal
• 1947: importership Volkswagen
• 1948: importership Porsche

External links

• Official website

References