Abus, a German manufacturer of bike locks and chains, has appointed Simon Ford as its new marketing director for the UK and Ireland.

Having previously held the position of managing director at Velobrands, Ford will bring a wealth of experience in the UK cycling market to his new role.

Ford will be tasked with heading up sales and marketing activities in the UK and Ireland markets, working closely with Abus UK based representative Roger Seal to increase the brands’ customer base and support Abus’ distribution partners Extra UK for the cycle trade and Feridax UK for the motorcycle trade.

Subscribe to Marketing Beat for free

Sign up here to get the latest marketing news sent straight to your inbox each morning

“We welcome Simon Ford to our team in the UK with great pleasure. The UK has always been a very important market for ABUS. Knowing Simon for many years we are excited to increase our presence in the UK,” Abus international sales director, Axel Roesler, said.

“Together with Roger Seal and the UK team we can focus on our Made in Germany locks and on our Made in Italy helmets. Unlike many brands ABUS manufactures in-house in our own facilities, which is a huge benefit for our customers in the UK with production guarantees and easy supply chains.”

Ford himself added: “It is a genuine privilege for me to be able to take up this appointment with ABUS. During my career in the industry, I have always been impressed with ABUS, their product range and exceptional quality, but for me, and I hope our customers, what is perhaps more important is the genuine ABUS spirit.

“Knowing you are working for a company that has such high standards in everything they do, from product quality and innovation, all the way to the aftermarket support is a huge advantage.