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Accell starts insolvency process after failing to find a buyer
Accell says it brought in administrators after it could not secure a viable path to keep operating, leaving the future of the Raleigh brand with administrators.
Raleigh, the historic British bicycle name, is set to be decided by administrators after its owner, the Netherlands-based Accell Group, began insolvency proceedings following a failure to find a viable buyer or solution.
According to The Guardian Business, Accell said it called in administrators because it could not continue operations in its current form. The fate of the Raleigh brand, which still retains offices in Nottinghamshire, will now be handled by those administrators.
The Guardian Business noted that Accell acquired Raleigh in 2012 for $100 million, with Accell also owning other brands including Lapierre and Ghost, as well as Babboe for cargo bikes. Accell previously had described itself as a European leader in e-bikes, with much of its production shifted to Hungary where costs were said to be 30% below earlier Dutch manufacturing.
The story also links the decision to broader competitive pressures on European bike and parts makers, citing competition from Chinese rivals. It adds that Accell itself was acquired in 2022 in a €1.4 billion buyout led by US private equity firm KKR, during a period when cycling demand rose amid pandemic lockdowns and cities expanded cycling infrastructure.