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New GM to run Rancho Bernardo-based bike company

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Tony Karklins has been hired as general manager of BST Bikes, LLC and will oversee strategy and operations for the Rancho Bernardo-based Ellsworth Handcrafted Bicycles and Synergy Nano brands.

BST Bikes is the cycling division of BST Nano Carbon, also based in Rancho Bernardo, which acquired Ellsworth in September 2014.

As general manager, Karklins will be responsible for the overall operations and expansion of BST Bikes including Ellsworth Bikes, a leading mountain bike brand founded by Tony Ellsworth, and Synergy Nano, a new brand of state-of-the-art components. Ellsworth will focus his efforts on designing new bikes and components making for a powerful BST Bikes duo.

Karklins is well known in the bicycle industry having owned and operated a top 100 bicycle dealership in Little Rock, Arkansas for 19 years. In 2001, Karklins launched a distribution company with exclusive North American rights to the Orbea, Etxe Ondo and Catlike brands. With the brands’ success in the US, especially Orbea, Karklins merged his distribution company with Orbea Sdad of Spain in 2004 and became managing director of Orbea USA. Under Karklins’ leadership, Orbea grew to one of the leading European bicycle brands in North America.

“Tony’s exceptional business acumen and deep involvement with the bicycle industry are a welcome addition to BST Bikes as we prepare to grow market share and launch exciting new products and programs for Ellsworth and Synergy Nano domestically and abroad,” said Bill Wood, senior vice president of BST Nano Carbon’s worldwide sales and marketing.

“I look forward to leading BST Bikes, it’s an opportunity like no other. With access to BST Nano’s advanced materials and large scale, carbon fiber manufacturing in Southern California, BST Bikes is poised for great success in the bicycle industry,” said Karklins. “We will focus on the Ellsworth brand for 2015, as we work to expand our offerings and presence to other categories in the near future. Look for a significant re-launch of the Ellsworth brand and our new line-up at the Sea Otter Classic later this spring.”

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