EUGENE, OR (BRAIN)—Burley Design is expanding its presence internationally with new distribution deals in Poland, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Israel and Italy.
It’s also expanded its reach in the U.K. by selling in Evans Cycles retailers throughout the region. Extra U.K. Ltd has been distributing Burley in the U.K. for the past 18 months, said Garrett Barnum, the company’s product and marketing manager.
The global expansion in part has been a result of demand for Burley’s Travoy trailer, which launched last year as a cargo solution for commuters, Barnum said.
“The Travoy has gained traction in certain markets like Japan and made way for other products as well. It’s also done well in the Netherlands. It’s really taking off in Europe,” he added.
Barnum said Burley is working on additional distribution deals in other new countries, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere with leads in South America and South Africa.
It’s all part of Burley’s turnaround since transitioning away from a co-op to a single owner (Michael Coughlin). In the past several years, the Oregon company has eliminated products such as bikes and rain gear in favor of focusing on trailers, and has outsourced manufacturing to Asia. It’s returned to financial health and is positioned for growth, Barnum said.
“At this point we’ve been manufacturing overseas for a few years now, we’ve gotten the hiccups out of it feel really good about products we get now,” he said. “That’s why growth is happening from our point of view.”
Another plus for Burley has been its arrangement with Trek. About 18 months ago, Trek left the trailer market and began distributing Burley.
“They looked to us as the experts,” he said.
—Nicole Formosa
nformosa@bicycleretailer.com
