Recently, there has been a lot of talk and speculation surrounding Marzocchi. First it was announced that they were shutting down the moto side of their business, which later came to include the mountain bike operations as well. Then it was announced the company was up for sale which was followed by new products on display at Eurobike. The rumor was that they were in negotiations with at least one company who might be able to salvage the brand and that more information would be provided at Interbike only to say there was nothing new to report when in Las Vegas.
Now, it would seem that Fox Factory is the suitor and will be purchasing at least some of the Marzocchi brand. Just what Fox plans to do with the assets and what it means for the brand remains to be seen, but it at least sounds like a great deal for current Marzocchi owners…
Based on the press release from the Marzocchi website, the two brands have reached an agreement that involves the sale of “certain assets” of the Marzocchi mountain bike business. Perhaps more important, at least in the interim, is that announcement that Fox will be servicing Marzocchi Suspension products. This is excellent news for anyone with a red M on their bike right now and for the product that is currently in the pipeline for sale.
From Marzocchi:
Tenneco Marzocchi has signed a definitive agreement with Fox Factory, Inc. (FOX) for the sale of certain assets of its Marzocchi mountain bike business.
Under this agreement, FOX will take over the Marzocchi brand for bicycles and the sales and servicing of Marzocchi mountain bike products.
We are delighted that FOX has chosen to continue the Marzocchi brand for bicycles.
FOX has the attributes necessary to help ensure the future of the Marzocchi brand within its bicycle portfolio and we wish them continued success. We expect to complete the sale to FOX by early November.
In another story from Yahoo Finance, FOX’s CEO, Larry Enterline mentions the potential ability to extend their suspension presence across more price points. As you probably know, Fox suspension isn’t exactly cheap so to us this reads as using the Marzocchi brand or technology to at least produce more affordable suspension products across the board. Whether they will stay branded as Marzocchi or be absorbed into the Fox line up remains to be seen, but it is certainly an interesting move for a company that also recently purchased RaceFace and Easton Components.