KTM
Ready to Race in the USA
KTM is Europe’s leading producer of high-performance street and off-road motorcycles, headquartered in Mattighofen, Austria. KTM AG is the parent company of KTM Group, which also includes KTM Sportmotorcycle, KTM Racing, Husqvarna Motorcycles, WP Suspension, and GASGAS Motorcycles. The company is active globally and in the United States is represented by KTM North America, headquartered in Murrieta, CA.
The company’s iconic orange motorcycles are well known to enthusiasts and have received accolades in the racing world. Between 2001 and 2019, KTM bikes scored an unprecedented eighteen consecutive victories in the Rally Dakar, the most prestigious event on the rally calendar. Rally Dakar takes place each year in January over a period of thirteen days, covering some 5,000 miles. Furthermore, KTM also competes in the FIM Motocross World Championship and the AMA Supercross I series. Overall, KTM has won 327 World Championship Titles so far, making it the world’s most successful motorcycle manufacturer.
A KTM RC 200 Everyday Racer
PHOTO: PETERPATEL/PEXELS
A New HQ in the United States
KTM has been active in the United States since 1967. The original headquarters was located in Amherst, OH, with marketing offices in El Cajon, CA. The company moved headquarters to Murrieta, CA in 2008, which is where it has been working on a new campus. In November 2021, the Austrian Ambassador to the United States, Martin Weiss, joined the company in celebrating progress on the new headquarters with an exclusive on-site event, where guests could take a first look at the plans for the 150,000 sq. ft. facility. Once completed, it will house some 300 employees on a three-building campus spanning twenty acres. KTM AG CEO Stefan Pierer was in attendance and also joined the brick laying ceremony of the Global and North America Board of Directors.
A rendering of the new KTM headquarters in Murrieta, CA
Photo: KTM
“It’s a very exciting and emotional day for me,” said Pierer. “Exactly thirty years ago, I started on a very small scale in the U.S. with a total of twelve people and now we are by far the biggest European motorcycle producer and we employ 5,000 people. Racing is basically the driving force that we created throughout the thirty years and it brings us to this—the biggest single investment I ever did—with a $50 million dollar project here in the United States. Now, let’s look ahead and let’s set up new targets for the future.”
In addition, John Hintz, CEO of KTM North America remarked that, “this celebration marks another incredible milestone in our history with this new campus, which is an incredible tool for us to deliver our service to our dealers as they truly are the lifeblood of our company. To commit to an investment like this requires bravery, and I want to thank Mr. Pierer and the Board of Directors for their continued commitment to the business here in the United States and in North America. Our goal is to grow the sport of motorcycling and the sport of bicycling, and these new buildings are going to be an incredible asset to continue delivering that service to our dealers across America.” The new campus is scheduled to be completed in early 2023. According to KTM, Southern California has been a great location for the company HQ, as it is a hot spot for both off-road and general motorcycling, and the company has seen an average ten percent growth over the past years. And the original location in Ohio is still active—today it houses the company’s parts warehouse and a dealer training center.
For more information, visit
www.ktm.com
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