The Pierer Mobility Group has been facing a delicate financial situation, with a sharp drop in sales and profits in the first half of this year – affecting the KTM motorcycle division, as well as the GasGas, Husqvarna, and MV Agusta brands that are part of the Austrian conglomerate.
Florian Kecht, Chief Sales Officer in the Board of Directors, does not shy away from or try to hide the complicated situation. In an interview with Motociclismo.it, he even shared some details:
– We are going through a very difficult period as a company. We cannot hide it. However, we would like to publicly announce how we are doing and how our business is developing. We’ve had a very complicated year. We recorded sales of just over a billion euros. A 27% drop compared to the first half of 2023. A decline in revenue across all our brands, all our segments, all our markets. We also announced that by the end of the year, we will have a loss of almost 200 million euros. But we are a company that loves risk, that loves competition. And we live every day competing with the best in the industry.
Despite the delicate situation, KTM’s motorcycle division is far from over, Florian Kecht assured with optimism: ‘At the same time, we are more confident than ever in our ability to turn things around. The product is still incredible. The brands are still strong. The commitment of the owners is still there, and so is the commitment of our shareholders. And the fact that we are going through a tough period should not cast doubt on our program for the future. It’s an unpleasant situation, but totally manageable. So, in case anyone is asking, is this the end of KTM? No, this is not the end. There’s still plenty of fuel in the tank’.