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EUROPEAN NEWS
Elan without Vice-President Martin Lehner
Martin Lehner (38) gives up his position as Vice-President for Elan because of dissents, but in mutual agreement. He started his career at the Slovenian company in 1997 and was Marketing Director from 1999 to 2000. In 2000, he moved up to the board and was responsible for sales and marketing.
Up to now, no new Vice-President is nominated, but his successor in the management will probably be International Sales Director Matjaz Grm. Lehner’s operative functions takes over in the interim Marketing Manager Leon Korosec in Begunje. The former national skier Matjaz Sarabon stays CEO and President of Elan who moved ahead as Product Officer three years ago.
Software-alliance: Wintersteiger purchases SRC
Wintersteiger announces the purchase of the Austrian company SRC which develops software for the ski rent. CEO Günther Kamml justifies this decision with the fact that the strong points of both companies and their software products complete perfectly. Wintersteiger is also contented with the turnover of the first six months in 2007. The divisions woodtech (machines to cut the wood very finely) and seedmech (seed breeding research) made per end of June a plus in turnover of 40 % in opposite to the previous year. The division sports (ski service machines) will pass with a comparatively slight minus despite of the bad winter, as Kamml declares.
Intersport Austria defies the winter with 4% plus
According to President Gabriele Fenninger, Intersport Austria made a plus of 4 % in turnover in opposite to the previous year and is sure to continue this increase also until the end of the business year 2006/07 (per 31 August). In comparison: Last year, the buying group with about 140 connected retailers in altogether 280 locations in Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary made 643 million (to selling prices).
Fenninger is very proud of having made good the poor-snow winter: the winter season could be closed with a minus of 1 %, because the other year-round ranges were very strong, especially in January and February. Intersport Austria was able to react fastly to the changing wishes of the consumers and placed the corresponding products (especially bikes, outdoor and Nordic walking) in time on the home market, which will be enlarged with nine locations.
Intersport Austria was also very active in the Czech Republic. At the moment, the buying group disposes of 35 locations (previous year: 23), three further ones are planned. In Hungary, the number of the connected shops should be doubled until the end of the year (from four to eight). The original plan of ten locations has failed. Fenninger adds that Slovakia has now also eight connected shops with one new entrant. The opening of ten further shops is planned.
EAG: The last ones comes, the first one goes
Now that all management positions in the Sport Eybl and Sports Experts AG (EAG) are occupied, the first one already leaves again: Holger Schwarting, board member and responsible for business development and expansion, will leave the company by end of August. An end of the troubles in the management of Austria’s sporting goods retailers no. 1 is not in sight. No more than last February, former CEO Maximilian Mitterhauser left the company as the last one of the three board members within nine months. Gabriele Schmidt and Thomas Krenn were before him. It was also Mitterhauser who brought Holger Schwarting from Intersport Austria to the EAG in May 2006. Schwarting was together with Gabriele Fenninger on the top of Intersport Austria. As EAG declares, Schwarting will leave the company by his own request. CEO Peter Wahle who was glad on July 1 to complete the EAG-management with the Swiss Rolf Frischknecht, will take over Schwarting’s functions additionally to his departments marketing, sales and purchase.
