Intense Throws a Party - The Rebirth of an Icon

Intense makes no secret about the fact that frames for its five carbon models are co-designed by its German partner, Seed Engineering, and manufactured in Asia. At least a hundred were in some phase of assembly during our visit – far more than I have seen in previous trips to Intense. Jeff Steber assured us that, while the carbon front-sections and swingarms were manufactured off site, that the linkages, hardware, and assembly of the carbon bikes was done in house. Aluminum frame manufacturing has always been and will continue to be done in the Temecula factory and that too was proceeding at full tilt boogie during the media tour. CNC machines were spitting out rocker links, swingarm junctions, bottom brackets and frame hardware, and the walls were splashed with the blue light from TIG-welding in process.



Recent hires include Chad Petersen as chief operating officer, one of the better product managers in North America, and a sizable sales staff that was harvested from the most competitive brands in this country. The pieces, as they say, are in place. Speaking with Andrew Herrick lends one to believe that Intense has the potential to post at least two more years of growth similar to what the brand did in 2013. If this is true, then Intense will surely be displacing sales from mid-sized boutique brands like Santa Cruz, Ibis and Yeti – although Herrick indicated clearly that he views all three as valuable partners in an industry that is being, “amalgamated by larger brands.” Most of Intense’s growth will no-doubt come from customers originally considering a high-end purchase from Trek, Specialized or Giant. It’s no secret that, however wonderful the top offerings are from the big brands, the bikes never lose their ‘corporate scent.’ Intense is banking on the heritage of its brand and the mark of individuality that its ownership promises.



Capturing big-spenders from corporate megabrands, however, requires a high degree of consumer trust, something that boutique brands often lack. Intense has fallen short at times on customer service and suffered its share of quality control issues. To its credit though, Intense stepped up to the plate and over the past three years, it has put those demons to rest – no doubt, one of the most compelling reasons for its recent success. Herrick says that goal one is to have bikes and parts in stock at all of its major dealers and a three to five-day interval for out-of-stock orders filled by the factory. That alone will snare a good deal of business for Intense, as there is typically a waiting period associated with most boutique-brand purchases that big-brand customers are not prepared to deal with.



Some of the burden of proof, that Intense is ready for the big time, will fall onto the shoulders of Andrew Herrick. One can excuse Jeff Steber and Marv Strand for making some capital errors on their way from building Intense from a garage-based frame-making operation to an internationally known bike company. Pioneers like Jeff and Marv build their businesses with passion, not pedigree. Had they been Harvard MBA’s, neither would have considered manufacturing mountain bikes. Herrick, now a career professional, has taken the reigns of Intense at the highest point that its founders could probably raise it to – and as the new CEO, his first order of business should be to ensure that the brand’s old customer service and quality control issues are truly ancient history. As the former CEO of Crankbrothers, Herrick has been at the helm through some stormy seas in both of those situations. Herrick’s ace in the hole is that the man understands the value of a heritage brand like Intense, and that he has demonstrated that he can grow a boutique brand without destroying its soul. That last sentence encapsulates all of our hopes for Intense in its next incarnation. All indications are that Intense is off to a great start.