Back in March, Andreani USA opened the doors of their U.S. operation. We sat down via Zoom on the eve of the grand opening to get the background on the company from founder MXGP racer Giuseppe Andreani and Luciano Ubaldini - President, Andreani USA. The connection may have been a bit fuzzy, but Andreani's passion and commitment comes through perfectly clear! In Part I we discuss what passion means in this profession and what motivates Guiseppe and Luciano to enter the U.S. suspension market.
The Back Story
Motocross champion Giuseppe Andreani dreamed of having a business in his favorite sport and supporting riders that share his passion for performance. He started the business in 1987 in his garage in Pesaro, Italy. Giuseppe was singularly focused on motorcycles, primarily on increasing performance through great suspension products that were perfectly tuned for the bike and rider. Giuseppe's talent, and customer demand, led him to create his first classroom, where he, and some local experts, started making a name for themselves in education, at the Andreani Suspension Workshop.
A decade later, the company's first big partnership designated Andreani as the sole distributor of WP Suspension products throughout Italy. It gave the company a huge boost in visibility and required the Andreani team to travel to regional and international racing to support riders in a range of classes, including World Superbike. Another business milestone happened in 2005, when Ohlins named Andreani as the sole importer and distributor of their world-renowned products in Italy. The opportunity launched the company into years of growth and allowed it to grow from five to 15 employees and prompted a move to a new location.
The following year, Andreani began marketing its own line of suspension products around the world. The initial products were piston kits to improve front fork performance. That line grew to be today's Andreani MISANO EVO cartridge, one of the most successful lines of products in the motorcycle industry. Giuseppe's passion for perfection drove him to develop innovative new tools, not available elsewhere, to allow technicians to tune motorcycle suspensions to an ideal match for rider and bike.
Andreani Group's success in selling suspension components and tools fueled growth in expanded product lines and staff. With product offerings for motorcycles, mountain bikes and automobiles, the company now has 45 employees and training facilities to support each segment.