BRP acquires a majority stake in a German company
BRP announced the acquisition of an 80% stake in Pinion GmbH, a gearbox technology pioneer based in Denkendorf, Germany. Driven by a passion for shaping sustainable mobility, the Pinion team of more than 60 full-time employees designs, develops, assembles and sells mechanical gearboxes for traditional and electric bicycles. The company’s leading transmissions are modeled on automotive transmission technology and offer unique cycle dynamics and unparalleled shifting performance.
“Beyond our existing powersports and marine products, we are expanding our addressable market and entering untapped categories such as urban mobility and services,” said José Boisjoli, President and CEO of BRP. “This acquisition is strategic for us as it allows BRP to leverage Pinion’s unique cutting-edge technology to drive the development of new human-assisted electrical products. We are happy to welcome the Pinion team.
Pinion was founded in 2008 by Christoph Lermen and Michael Schmitz, two automotive engineers. The co-founders and managing directors will remain Pinion shareholders, as will managing director and shareholder Thomas Raith. The three leaders will continue to chart the course for the company’s success and play a key role in its strategic direction alongside Pinion’s highly skilled employees. The offices will be maintained in Germany.
“BRP’s culture of relentless innovation and focus on R&D reflects our own,” said Lermen. “We are proud to join such a respected company and look forward to innovating with them. Together, we will continue to provide industry-leading Pinion gearbox technology to our 100+ bike manufacturers while expanding our offering and developing next-generation drivetrain solutions.
This announcement follows BRP’s acquisition of Great Wall Motor Austria GmbH, a leading R&D center for electric vehicles based in Kottingbrunn, Austria, specializing in electric propulsion systems and transmissions, consolidating expertise of BRP in electric powertrain technology for existing product lines and future product launches.
