Baltik Vairas emerges with a new bicycle manufacturing concept – NKD (naked) Bike

In the international bicycle fair Eurobike 2015, Baltik Vairas, the largest bicycle manufacturer in Northern Europe, presented a new bicycle manufacturing and customization concept called NKD Bike, with which the company aims to adapt the new business trend in the sector. On August 26-29th, in the German town Friedrichshafen, European bicycle developers of Baltik Vairas presented 4 basic bicycle platforms representing the NKD Bike concept which can evolve into a number of unique modifications matching the exact needs and desires of individual business customers. In Baltik Vairas the new concept will be implemented during the new season one platform at the time.

The NKD (naked) Bike concept is a brain child of Peter Brolos Kristensen who recently joined Baltik Vairas as the new Chief Innovation Officer. The NKD Bike is a basic bicycle structure which is composed of a frame and the most important components, selectively chosen by Baltik Vairas developers. The ensuing customization process is limited solely by the fantasy of customers and the mix of different bicycle parts and components.

“You can compare the NKD Bike concept with Lego constructions – you have one basic structure and an amplitude of different parts, which you can all build together according to your needs. A similar principle is applied in the automotive industry, where several platforms serve as a building block for the whole family of different cars. The NKD Bike will become the core of Baltik Vairas business model and this is the reason for the current upgrade in manufacturing lines and supply chain. Once all the necessary manufacturing components are in place, and the concept is ready, the process from placing an order to delivery will take from 14 days. It is much faster, given that, until recently, for the European bike manufacturers the process usually took as much as 26 weeks” – stated Peter Brolos Kristensen.

Baltik Vairas manufactures bicycles and e-bikes which are designated for urban riding. Thus, under the NKD Bike concept, the focus will be on having approximately ten basic bicycle platforms – ranging from e-bikes to classic to ATB (All-Terrain Bike, universal bicycles suited for all road surfaces).

“The main idea behind the concept is that less means more. The NKD Bike concept enables us to optimize the manufacturing, speed up the process of order materialization, and, at the same time, allows for customization of the bicycles. I am satisfied that the idea was welcomed by our customers visiting us at Eurobike and I believe that we have all the necessary resources for its implementation in Šiauliai” – said Peter Brolos Kristensen.

In the past, Mr. Brolos Kristensen served as a Country Manager at Bike & Co in Denmark and the CEO of bicycle manufacturer Mosquito Cykelcenter / Cykel-X-Perten. In the European market, he is known to be one of the best and most innovative executives and developers of the bikes.

Sales of Baltik Vairas, the largest bicycle manufacturer in Northern Europe, surged year-on-year in the three months ended 28 February from EUR 7.444 million to EUR 14.369 million. EBITDA grew from EUR 0.088 million to EUR 0.848 million in the fiscal second quarter. In the same quarter, the company manufactured and sold 78,000 bicycles and e-bikes.

Baltik Vairas UAB today is the largest bicycle and e-bike manufacturer in Northern Europe. Established in 1948 and based in Šiauliai, Lithuania, the company exports top-quality bicycles throughout Europe. Capacity to deliver up to 500,000 bicycles annually includes six production lines and 1700 different models. Bicycles are exported to 14 countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Austria and Finland. The company’s factory has 320 permanent employees, though total staff exceeds 600 during the peak season. For more information, please visit www.baltikvairas.com.