AMES, Iowa – Messingschlager USA, LLC has named industry veteran Pat Cunnane CEO
Cunnane comes to Messingschlager USA, originally Cycle Force Group, with many years of industry experience. He began his career at 12 sweeping floors at his neighborhood bike shop. While Cunnane is best known as CEO of Advanced Sports Enterprises — a company he grew from $7 million in annual revenue to over $100 million — he was most recently President and COO of Yuba Bicycles in addition to consulting for multiple international businesses. Cunnane sits on the Board of Directors for PeopleForBikes and has been active in bicycle advocacy since the 1970’s. “I’m thrilled to be working with Messingschlager USA. Nyle and the team have created a great base to build upon — and I’m excited to get to work,” Cunnane said.
Cunnane will be a familiar face at the office. Cunnane and Cycle Force Group founder, Nyle Nims, go back 40 years when they worked together at Ross Bicycle Inc. “Pat’s leadership skills and years of industry knowledge check all the boxes for the role of CEO at Cycle Force and the bonus of having known and worked with Pat over the years gives me personal satisfaction that we are on the right track in an industry we both love to work in,” said Nims. Cunnane’s relationship with Cycle Force spans generations. Nyle’s son, Matthew Nims, VP of Sales and Marketing, is equally as optimistic about the company’s future under Cunnane’s direction. “I first met Pat in 1988 when I joined my father at the Interbike East show in Atlantic City. He has been a mentor ever since. We could not be more excited to have him join the team,” the younger Nims said.
Messingschlager GmbH acquired Cycle Force Group and its subsidiaries at the end of 2021 after more than a decade of working together. The Cycle Force division focus is industry services such as fulfillment, warehousing and bicycle assembly, while the North America Cycles division distributes to specialty retail. Dennis Schöemburg, Managing Director at Messingschlager, is excited for the industry experience Cunnane brings to the table. "It has been our philosophy at Messingschlager over decades to partner with brands and help them grow and succeed in the market. Pat has demonstrated this likewise throughout his remarkable career in the USA and that makes him the perfect match for us to successfully build our new US entity with European brands like KTM Bikes and others to come.”
Messingschlager GmbH, Messingschlager USA’s European counterpart has been in the bike business for nearly 100 years and claims title to the largest stock of P&A in Europe. In 2018, Messingschlager became an exclusive OEM distributor for Brose Electric Motor, marketing specifically to those brands looking for a turnkey, yet premium e-bike solution. Messingschlager USA recently acquired U.S distribution rights to KTM Bike Industries and will begin distribution in the early spring and also currently distributes Panaracer, Head Bikes, Joey, and Messingschlager’s suite of P&A brands including KMC, Velo, Trailgator and their own brand M-Wave.
For more information Messingschlager USA can be reached at 515-232-0277 or info@cyclefg.com.