The Vorarlberg-based bike manufacturer Simplon and the Upper Bavarian bike brand Corratec have agreed on a cooperation. Simplon bikes will be assembled in Romania from 2026. The move is intended to help put Simplon back on a healthy economic footing. Jobs will be cut in Austria.
In future, Simplon will have selected models assembled at the Corratec factory in Timisoara, Romania. The production facility has been operated by the German parent company iko Sportartikel Handels GmbH since 2022. Simplon was after a Insolvency application was fully acquired by SOL Capital Management in February 2025. SOL Capital Management GmbH, based in Vienna, supports companies with succession solutions and restructuring with its funds. The new CEO and co-investor is Christoph Mannel. He had worked at Takeover promised that the new money would "secure both the production site in Austria and 140 jobs." The latter seems to be proving more difficult than expected. In the meantime, further job cuts have been announced at Simplon in Austria. "The economically necessary basic capacity utilisation of the additional production line in Romania nevertheless necessitates restructuring at the main plant in Hard," according to a SOL press release. It was announced that one fifth of the remaining 110 jobs would be cut.
Corratec expands production
The Corratec plant in Timișoara now employs almost 200 skilled workers and is one of the most modern bicycle production facilities in Eastern Europe. E-bikes, gravel, road and mountain bike models are produced here for the entire European market. The cooperation with Simplon will further increase the site's capacity utilisation. "We are delighted with the trust that Simplon has placed in us with this collaboration," emphasise Cielo and Konrad Irlbacher, CEOs of Corratec. "Our goal with Timișoara is to operate a flexible, modern and sustainable production site in Europe that not only strengthens our brand, but also opens up new perspectives for other manufacturers."
Simplon stays in Austria
However, the new owner promised to take over most of the Wheels will continue to be assembled at its headquarters in Vorarlberg. "By setting up a second production facility, the traditional brand is securing its location in Vorarlberg for the long term," explained CEO Christoph Mannel in a press release. The technological and creative centrepiece will remain in Vorarlberg, where "a considerable proportion of the total volume of bicycles, especially the individually configured custom bikes, are manufactured". Simplon has been producing bicycles in Hard in Vorarlberg since 1961. The start of the new production line in Romania has been announced for 2026.
Kristian Bauer
Editor
