What's Next For Marzocchi?
Everyone was hoping that it wouldn't come to this.
Marzocchi, the Italian suspension brand that's been in business for nearly seventy years, has admitted that they'll be closing up shop. This means that their motorbike manufacturing, which takes place in Bologna, Italy, and the mountain bike production, which happens in Asia, will come to a halt at the end of 2015. That's obviously bad news for anyone who's a fan of the big 'M', not to mention the approximately one hundred and thirty eight employees that will likely find themselves looking for work. It also means that bike companies who were hoping to spec some Italian suspension on their 2017 model year bikes will have to choose from another brand's offerings.
Our source inside Marzocchi is still hopeful, though, and while they did confess that things look bleak, they're also still hopeful that a buyer or investor will come to the rescue before the ship sinks. It's do or die, you might say, as Marzocchi as we know it will cease to exist this coming January if a saviour isn't found, which is a different outlook than the still optimistic words that we saw from them last month.
That same source was insistent that all current 2016 products will be delivered to OE and aftermarket customers, and that Marzocchi will be at both the Eurobike and Interbike tradeshows with 2017 offerings.
![Marzocchi]()
Whether or not those 2017 products will ever be available is a whole other issue, as are the questions about existing warranties and what could have been done differently. We reached again out to Andrea Pierantoni, sales and marketing director for Tenneco Marzocchi, to answer those exact questions in order to try and get to the bottom of what Marzocchi's apparent demise means for customers and fans.
- Andrea, what do you think Marzocchi could have done differently over the last ten years for this to have not happen? Are there one or two specific things you could identify?
Andrea Pierantoni - Like any company, we can only influence what we can control. We had no control over the economic crisis of 2008 and 2009, and we had no control over the decision by our fork supplier to stop production in 2012. However, we very quickly recovered any ground lost by rapidly appointing a new fork assembly supplier in Taiwan who shares our commitment to improving manufacturing efficiency, flexibility and quality, with the goal of growing the business and keeping Marzocchi competitive and viable. We made a strong comeback in the 2013 model year with innovative Marzocchi technology that responded to evolving customer needs and market trends, and we haven’t stopped innovating since.
Tenneco has always recognized the importance of innovation and technological leadership as a means of maintaining Marzocchi as a recognized and sustainable global brand. To this end, Tenneco shares its world-class business processes in supply chain management, industrialization and distribution with our Taiwanese supplier. The company has invested in a new assembly line with Tenneco tooling and quality control procedures. In terms of innovation, Tenneco has invested in developing a complete line of MY2016 cross-country, enduro, dirt jump and downhill front and rear suspension, and is developing the dropper post, the 27.5PLUS line, and the full range of DH and Enduro shocks.
- The press release that ran on Pinkbike has over 120,000 reads and 470 comments after just one day, with very large majority of the comments praising Marzocchi or reminiscing about better times. How does it feel to see so much support and love for the brand, but for things to still end this way?
AP - Our customers’ passion is a real source of motivation for us and is what keeps driving the development of outstanding products like our e-suspension and the full range of cross-country shocks. What Tenneco announced yesterday was the intention to discontinue its Marzocchi motor bike fork suspension business and mountain bike business, and liquidate its Marzocchi operations. However, Tenneco continues to talk with third parties who are showing interest in some of the assets of Marzocchi.
The support and love that is being expressed for the brand is more valuable than ever today as it may be able to help to influence a happy ending under a new owner. This is what I sincerely hope for Marzocchi, our customers, our supplier and the mountain bike team.
- Now that the news has broken, can you divulge when production of Marzocchi's mountain bike and motorbike products will officially cease?
AP - Tenneco intends to assist its motorbike customers with the transition of current production to an alternative supplier and expects to complete the closure of its plant in Bologna by the end of 2015, but continue to talk with third parties who are showing interest in some of the assets of Marzocchi. I cannot comment or speculate on what the outcome of these talks might be and the subsequent impact on the mountain bike business.
- How does this news effect the warranty coverage of suspension products that are already out in customer's hands? And what about warranty parts - is there a large enough backstock of parts to keep people rolling for a while?
AP - As I said earlier, Tenneco continues to talk with third parties who are showing interest in some of the assets of Marzocchi, so I cannot comment or speculate on what the outcome of these talks might be and the subsequent impact on the mountain bike business.
- You guys showed us a seat post at Sea Otter that looked very promising. Is this ever going to see the light of day now, or is it dead in the water?
AP - We will continue with the development of the seat post which and it will be included in the MY2016 AM from January. We will also present it at both Eurobike and Interbike, and all of the Product Managers who are currently testing it are very pleased with its performance.
- Will teams like MS Mondraker, with Danny Hart, still receive support for the 2015 race season, or are they now on their own?
AP - We will continue to support all of our teams, including enduro, downhill and cross-country outfits. We will be at Cranckworx in Whistler with our North American team, and at the World Cup in Mont St Anne, Windham, and Val di Sole, as well as the World Championship's in Andorra with head mechanic, Pedro.
- What happens to the products that are sitting in the factory or in the warehouse right now?
AP - Wednesday’s announcement should not impact our service, quality or the delivery to our customers in the short term.
- Can you explain what will happen to the patents that Marzocchi/Tenneco holds?
AP - Tenneco continues to talk with third parties who are showing interest in some of the assets of Marzocchi. These assets include our patents for our products, all of which have been designed and engineered in Italy by the same engineers working for our motorbike and mountain bike division. The 100% Italian label is an integral part of the value of the Marzocchi brand, as the Italian origin is synonymous with superior R&D, outstanding quality, design and attention to detail. This is one of the main reasons why people are so passionate about Marzocchi.
- RockShox and FOX are both connected to other cycling-related companies that complement their range while presumably adding strength to the brand. Has the same opportunity come up for Marzocchi at any point in the last decade? And if so, why did it not happen?
AP - Tenneco Marzocchi has always recognized the importance of innovation and technological leadership as a means of maintaining Marzocchi as a recognized and sustainable global brand. As I said earlier, we have invested in developing a complete line of MY2016 cross-country, enduro, dirt jump and downhill suspension, and are developing the dropper post, the 27.5PLUS line, and the full range of downhill and enduro shocks. We hope to be able to continue on MY2016 and MY2017 OE suspension.
- Was there ever a serious chance of another company purchasing either the mountain bike or motorbike side of Marzocchi's business? And if so, how close was it to it to going through?
AP - I am not aware of what may have happened in the past. All I can tell you is that Tenneco continues to talk with third parties who are showing interest in some of the assets of Marzocchi. I cannot speculate on what the outcome of these talks might be.
- We've all seen companies close up shop, only to spring back to life down the road after an injection of funds. Hypothetically speaking (and hoping), if an investor was found a few months from now, is it something that could ever have Marzocchi coming back from the dead?
AP - This is what I sincerely hope for Marzocchi, our customers, our supplier and the mountain bike team.
Marzocchi, the Italian suspension brand that's been in business for nearly seventy years, has admitted that they'll be closing up shop. This means that their motorbike manufacturing, which takes place in Bologna, Italy, and the mountain bike production, which happens in Asia, will come to a halt at the end of 2015. That's obviously bad news for anyone who's a fan of the big 'M', not to mention the approximately one hundred and thirty eight employees that will likely find themselves looking for work. It also means that bike companies who were hoping to spec some Italian suspension on their 2017 model year bikes will have to choose from another brand's offerings.
Our source inside Marzocchi is still hopeful, though, and while they did confess that things look bleak, they're also still hopeful that a buyer or investor will come to the rescue before the ship sinks. It's do or die, you might say, as Marzocchi as we know it will cease to exist this coming January if a saviour isn't found, which is a different outlook than the still optimistic words that we saw from them last month.
That same source was insistent that all current 2016 products will be delivered to OE and aftermarket customers, and that Marzocchi will be at both the Eurobike and Interbike tradeshows with 2017 offerings.
Whether or not those 2017 products will ever be available is a whole other issue, as are the questions about existing warranties and what could have been done differently. We reached again out to Andrea Pierantoni, sales and marketing director for Tenneco Marzocchi, to answer those exact questions in order to try and get to the bottom of what Marzocchi's apparent demise means for customers and fans.
- Andrea, what do you think Marzocchi could have done differently over the last ten years for this to have not happen? Are there one or two specific things you could identify? Andrea Pierantoni - Like any company, we can only influence what we can control. We had no control over the economic crisis of 2008 and 2009, and we had no control over the decision by our fork supplier to stop production in 2012. However, we very quickly recovered any ground lost by rapidly appointing a new fork assembly supplier in Taiwan who shares our commitment to improving manufacturing efficiency, flexibility and quality, with the goal of growing the business and keeping Marzocchi competitive and viable. We made a strong comeback in the 2013 model year with innovative Marzocchi technology that responded to evolving customer needs and market trends, and we haven’t stopped innovating since.
Tenneco has always recognized the importance of innovation and technological leadership as a means of maintaining Marzocchi as a recognized and sustainable global brand. To this end, Tenneco shares its world-class business processes in supply chain management, industrialization and distribution with our Taiwanese supplier. The company has invested in a new assembly line with Tenneco tooling and quality control procedures. In terms of innovation, Tenneco has invested in developing a complete line of MY2016 cross-country, enduro, dirt jump and downhill front and rear suspension, and is developing the dropper post, the 27.5PLUS line, and the full range of DH and Enduro shocks.
- The press release that ran on Pinkbike has over 120,000 reads and 470 comments after just one day, with very large majority of the comments praising Marzocchi or reminiscing about better times. How does it feel to see so much support and love for the brand, but for things to still end this way? AP - Our customers’ passion is a real source of motivation for us and is what keeps driving the development of outstanding products like our e-suspension and the full range of cross-country shocks. What Tenneco announced yesterday was the intention to discontinue its Marzocchi motor bike fork suspension business and mountain bike business, and liquidate its Marzocchi operations. However, Tenneco continues to talk with third parties who are showing interest in some of the assets of Marzocchi.
The support and love that is being expressed for the brand is more valuable than ever today as it may be able to help to influence a happy ending under a new owner. This is what I sincerely hope for Marzocchi, our customers, our supplier and the mountain bike team.
- Now that the news has broken, can you divulge when production of Marzocchi's mountain bike and motorbike products will officially cease? AP - Tenneco intends to assist its motorbike customers with the transition of current production to an alternative supplier and expects to complete the closure of its plant in Bologna by the end of 2015, but continue to talk with third parties who are showing interest in some of the assets of Marzocchi. I cannot comment or speculate on what the outcome of these talks might be and the subsequent impact on the mountain bike business.
- How does this news effect the warranty coverage of suspension products that are already out in customer's hands? And what about warranty parts - is there a large enough backstock of parts to keep people rolling for a while? AP - As I said earlier, Tenneco continues to talk with third parties who are showing interest in some of the assets of Marzocchi, so I cannot comment or speculate on what the outcome of these talks might be and the subsequent impact on the mountain bike business.
- You guys showed us a seat post at Sea Otter that looked very promising. Is this ever going to see the light of day now, or is it dead in the water? AP - We will continue with the development of the seat post which and it will be included in the MY2016 AM from January. We will also present it at both Eurobike and Interbike, and all of the Product Managers who are currently testing it are very pleased with its performance.
- Will teams like MS Mondraker, with Danny Hart, still receive support for the 2015 race season, or are they now on their own? AP - We will continue to support all of our teams, including enduro, downhill and cross-country outfits. We will be at Cranckworx in Whistler with our North American team, and at the World Cup in Mont St Anne, Windham, and Val di Sole, as well as the World Championship's in Andorra with head mechanic, Pedro.
- What happens to the products that are sitting in the factory or in the warehouse right now? AP - Wednesday’s announcement should not impact our service, quality or the delivery to our customers in the short term.
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- Can you explain what will happen to the patents that Marzocchi/Tenneco holds? AP - Tenneco continues to talk with third parties who are showing interest in some of the assets of Marzocchi. These assets include our patents for our products, all of which have been designed and engineered in Italy by the same engineers working for our motorbike and mountain bike division. The 100% Italian label is an integral part of the value of the Marzocchi brand, as the Italian origin is synonymous with superior R&D, outstanding quality, design and attention to detail. This is one of the main reasons why people are so passionate about Marzocchi.
- RockShox and FOX are both connected to other cycling-related companies that complement their range while presumably adding strength to the brand. Has the same opportunity come up for Marzocchi at any point in the last decade? And if so, why did it not happen? AP - Tenneco Marzocchi has always recognized the importance of innovation and technological leadership as a means of maintaining Marzocchi as a recognized and sustainable global brand. As I said earlier, we have invested in developing a complete line of MY2016 cross-country, enduro, dirt jump and downhill suspension, and are developing the dropper post, the 27.5PLUS line, and the full range of downhill and enduro shocks. We hope to be able to continue on MY2016 and MY2017 OE suspension.
- Was there ever a serious chance of another company purchasing either the mountain bike or motorbike side of Marzocchi's business? And if so, how close was it to it to going through? AP - I am not aware of what may have happened in the past. All I can tell you is that Tenneco continues to talk with third parties who are showing interest in some of the assets of Marzocchi. I cannot speculate on what the outcome of these talks might be.
- We've all seen companies close up shop, only to spring back to life down the road after an injection of funds. Hypothetically speaking (and hoping), if an investor was found a few months from now, is it something that could ever have Marzocchi coming back from the dead? AP - This is what I sincerely hope for Marzocchi, our customers, our supplier and the mountain bike team.
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But I wouldn't be particularly worried about Marzocchi's future, either - a brand with their history and cachet, and particularly the kind of passionate following Pinkbike illustrated on the first post two days ago, is too valuable not to be purchased and put to good use.
Where you save preset adjustments of fork (taken from practice laps) rebound/compression/etc, you save it on the onboard computer and choose the adjustment during the race course getting optimum suspension handling during every segment and stage ON THE RUN!!
"I am not aware of what may have happened in the past. All I can tell you is that Tenneco continues to talk with third parties who are showing interest in some of the assets of Marzocchi. I cannot speculate on what the outcome of these talks might be."
"I am not aware of what may have happened in the past. All I can tell you is that Tenneco continues to talk with third parties who are showing interest in some of the assets of Marzocchi. I cannot speculate on what the outcome of these talks might be."
"I am not aware of what may have happened in the past. All I can tell you is that Tenneco continues to talk with third parties who are showing interest in some of the assets of Marzocchi. I cannot speculate on what the outcome of these talks might be."
Just thought I'd say it a few more times in case anyone missed it. #Marzocchilives
bold to claim marzocchis problems on the economic crisis... all I know is that probably every (at least every single one I knew) 2008 MZ failed terribly. that's what went wrong.
2013 on has been great old Marzocchi.
The 2014 380 Ti was the best fork I have had since my 2001 Shiver.
Had Fox 40, Fox 40 Float, several Boxxer teams, WC and an Avalanche converted team 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
None of them come close to the 380.
I hope they get bought over. Look at RaceFace they were shut down and reborn bringing out the best cranks (carbon and alum) bars (carbon and alum) and stems
DVO Diamond $999
Marzocchi 350 NCR $949
*This is my own opinion*, but even the article suggests it.
LONG LIVE MARKETING BULLSH$T
And just to be clear: PEOPLE are slaves to marketing, not just bikers. That's the point of marketing. It works. It's supposed to convince you to buy a product. It's NECESSARY to sell a product. It doesn't kill anything - the sport is doing just fine. Anyone who sells anything relies on marketing, INCLUDING Marzocchi.
Marzocchi's parent, Tenneco, to shut down suspension business
Published July 22, 2015
by BRAIN Staff
UPDATED
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (BRAIN) – Tenneco plans to discontinue its Marzocchi motor bike fork suspension and its mountain bike business, and will liquidate its Marzocchi operations, the company announced in a press release issued Wednesday. Confused
But representatives from the U.S. office in Long Beach, Calif., told BRAIN that mountain bike suspension production is continuing and that the sale of the mountain bike part of the business is currently underway. Details on the potential buyer or negotiations couldn't be disclosed. Pimp
The liquidation, which Tenneco said is subject to consultation with employee representatives, would eliminate 138 jobs. Tenneco, a publicly traded automotive industy supplier, employs 127 people at the Marzocchi plant in Bologna, Italy, and an additional 11 people in its operations in North America and Taiwan. The company intends to assist its motor bike customers with the transition of current production to an alternative supplier and expects to complete the closure by the end of 2015.
"We sincerely regret the impact these actions would have on our Tenneco Marzocchi employees, and thank them for their tireless efforts to improve performance and reduce costs. Unfortunately, it was not enough to overcome continuing market challenges in the two-wheeler business," said Brian Kesseler, chief operating officer, Tenneco. “We are committed to working with our employees’ representatives, and with our customers to make the transition as smooth as possible.”
Tenneco expects to record charges of approximately $27 million related to the liquidation in the third quarter, which includes approximately $17 million of cash expenditures, for severance and other employee-related costs, asset impairment charges and other expenses related to the closure. The company anticipates improving financial results by $7 million annually, beginning in 2016.
Tenneco is an $8.4 billion global manufacturing company with headquarters in Lake Forest, Ill., and approximately 29,000 employees worldwide. It's one of the largest designers, manufacturers and marketers of clean air and ride performance products and systems for automotive, commercial truck, and off-highway original equipment markets, and the aftermarket. Its principal brand names are Monroe, Walker, XNOx and Clevite Elastomer.
In 2008, Tenneco bought Gruppo Marzocchi, based near Bologna, Italy, and founded in 1949. Tenneco paid about $15 million for the company by assuming its outstanding debts.
Stay tuned for more on this story.
Can I get a "Hallelujah Stifmeister!"
The simple reality is that the demand for marzocchi was/ is not enough to sustain the brand. There seems to be a lot of fans of the brand on here, I wonder how many actually use the forks over fox/rs and others. Plenty of comments from riders saying they're still using a fork that's x years old and running like a dream, but unfortunately that doesn't keep a brand going.
Sales = $$ = marketing budget= more sales. Repeat...
No sales = no $$= no marketing = no $$ = brand going pop...
If we are so passionate about this company and we had the right people involved then it's not that daft an idea..........
Maybe I'm wrong but I feel that its the way to go
#marzocchilives
I wonder if a company like Scott might pick them up, they already have some in-house rear suspension and they bought Syncros, so they could be looking to vertically integrate.
Marzocchi are too good to die!
go ahead...
Assuming you're kidding...? Every Rock Shox fork i have ever owned has been flawless, not to mention they always release upgrade dampers so you don't even have to buy their shiny new stuff.
Big fan of Rock Shox and always will be.
Their other failure is referrals, when a company has very low marketing but their product and customer service is good, these companies survive through referrals, specially if a company is 70 years old like Marzocci, but if they are going broke it is clearly that they failed at influencing their customers to pass on referrals.
Modern high end suspension is great, but even low end modern stuff blows most old forks out of the water, even top of the line stuff.
On the other hand... I had a 2001 Marzocchi Z1 X-Fly shortly afterwards that I had on a Norco Rampage Team 853, and rode that for several years until upgrading to a full suspension. The X-Fly is still one of my favorite forks, oil bath, superlight and absolutely plush as a big ass. There was no reason to look at new technology until the full suspension era rounded out. The next bike I built was a Be One Nirvana 1.0 that had 2008 Rock Shox Revalation 426 U-Turn and I have to admit they were flawless, frame... not so much.
All in all, Rock Shox is now on top of their game, as is Fox. Marzocchi unfortunately did take some blows in their 2008-2012 years. There are up's and down's in the production world unfortunately. Similar to what happened to Race Face a couple years ago now, I remember going through the same motions. Companies that build products that retain a reputation such as Race Face or Marzocchi will not die as there will be another buyer to capitalize on that market potential. I do hope there is a saving grace for good ole' Marzocchi as I will always remember that ass...err I mean fork... yes fork.
I never was a Marcoki fan but I'll admit that I want them back. Keep your fingers crossed for M suspension products.
I get all the nostalgic #marzocchlives stuff, but to be honest, I couldn't give a shit. My next forks will be X Fusion