TRAVERSE Issue 45 - December 2024 | Page 109

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KTM subsidiaries around the world have suggested that the problems in Austria won ’ t affect the global workforce yet as this is the parent company it ’ s hard to see how it won ’ t , as we have already seen with Pierer ’ s other brands , Husqvarna and GasGas have already pulled out of Grand Prix racing .
With the woes worsening , the Pierer group issued an odd statement announcing that this was just a blip , “" we have expanded to become Europe ' s largest motorcycle manufacturer over the past three decades . We inspire millions of motorcycle riders around the world with our products . Now we are taking a pit stop for the future ."
Those loyal to the orange brand have become increasingly vocal about the looming plight stating that decreasing reliability and a lack of design innovation have led to the problems . While co-CEO of KTM , Gottfried Neumeister has tried to reassure the faithful that KTM will come through this with the help of its resolute employees , “ the enthusiasm of our employees is our most important competitive advantage . Their passion is the reason why KTM is globally synonymous with peak performance . We build our motorcycles reliably and robustly for every race , for every terrain .
“ Now it ’ s about making the company robust . Robust for
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