Duarte, California, May 18, 2011—Dahon, the world leader in folding bicycles, will introduce its new 2012 product range in Zagreb during its annual sales conference. With the market in folding bikes increasing, Dahon further announces that it will use the summit of its worldwide distributor partners to unveil a remodeled operational structure to ensure its prime position in the bicycle industry.

Dahon bicycles have played a major role in attracting new people to cycling, while also raising interest in the foldable bike market overall. After having put the focus into launching new sub-brands in recent years, Dahon indicates that it is now returning its emphasis on its core business of folding bikes.

The annual Dahon International Distributors Conference (DIDC) will be held June 7 – 10 in Zagreb, Croatia where distributors will have an exclusive opportunity to preview Dahon’s 2012 programs.

New factories and production plans in Europe

In Asia, Dahon presently manufactures bicycles from its main production facility in Shenzhen while also making use of a facility in Tianjin, a coastal city near Beijing.

Dahon further has plans in place for a new factory in central China with a production capacity of 500,000 bikes per year.

For the European market, Dahon is currently working towards finalizing plans to begin manufacturing bikes directly in Europe, which will greatly enhance Dahon’s ability to serve one of its most important markets. The availability of a European production site will also have a positive impact on distribution and marketing. An announcement will be made at DIDC.

“We are excited about these developments. These facilities have been long-standing goals of ours and will help us in improving our quality and delivery time. Their integration is another indicator of our commitment to providing our markets with first-rate products”, says founder and Dahon CEO Dr. David Hon.

Upgraded two-tier marketing program to grow brand’s emotional brand appeal

Dahon will furthermore reveal its 2012 marketing strategy which builds on reinforcing the brand’s positioning as a technology rich brand with a broad product portfolio. As part of a shift to further enhance the focus on the brand’s emotional appeal, the company will present a fresh multi-channel marketing approach, communicating the brand’s emotional values in a personal way.

The 2012 campaign, aimed at strengthening Dahon’s leading position, will feature BtoB and BtoC above-the-line advertising, street level marketing in key markets, as well as national retail promotions and point-of-sale retail programs.

Distributors and resellers will enjoy strong support through Dahon’s trade marketing partner program. The strategy combines global and localized initiatives in an effort to achieve a more engaging brand experience at retail.

Management Additions

Along with the company’s operational restructuring come two key additions to its management board that include Henry Hon, co-founder of Dahon, and Eddie Eccleston, an industry stalwart. Hon has actively rejoined the group and is already involved in management and the overseeing of US operations, while Eccleston has taken on the role of Global Sales and Marketing Director for the Dahon Group. The company additionally confirms that Joshua Hon is no longer Vice President of Dahon and has no further affiliation with the company.