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Orbea Bikes

CELEBRATING OUR 50TH YEAR AS A CO-OP

2 YEARS AGO

This has been a special year for us atOrbea.Fifty yearshave passed since a group of people — many of whom are relatives — took the reins of a company that needed strong leadership, clear decisions, bigger risks and full ownership of its ideas. This is the story of how we became a co-op.

It was a big leap to change the course of our company, but the zeitgeist of the 1960s, marked by radical social changes, created an unsustainable path for Orbea’s future.Changing our business modelwas the only way to establish a more viable, long-term future.

Adopting acooperative modelwas a decision made by all employees at the time, and the investment came at a personal cost. Every co-op member risked their own assets to save the company from going under, giving rise to fears and realities that their own personal future and finances could be at stake.

It was only a matter of time before the new direction took hold and the company began thriving once again. Today, five decades later, the values that initially defined our co-op continue to leave a deep impression on our character, leading us to explore new ideas and push them further. It’s how we’ve come to understand business and life, and how we’ve found success in both.

On November 16,we celebrated our 50th anniversary in Mallabia— an event that brought out generations of families, including some of the founding members of the co-op, that not only reflected on the successes of the past 50 years, but set their eyes on another 50 years. Here you can watch a video of the 50-year reunion and celebration.

Rubén Gabilondo,the co-op’s president, imparted a few words upon those in attendance, highlighting the historical importance of evolving into a co-op and recognizing the founding members who played a pivotal role in reshaping Orbea’s future. We’re pleased to share the transcript from his speech, below.

This year, our cooperative celebrates 50 years of history. Five decades ago, a turning point in the trajectory of our company took place. It was the moment when Orbea became a cooperative.

I would like to recognize all the people who took a step forward with a clear intention: to keep their jobs and create a goal for the future. A goal that we celebrate today. More than 300 people took this step. Together, with some of them here today, we remember those moments that brought us to where we are, here on November 16 in Mallabia.

These people are the ones responsible for our presence today. They sacrificed and risked a lot, beyond what seemed reasonable, so that, today, we have a valuable legacy. A legacy that we aim to, in turn, pass on to future generations. For it is our desire to carve out a path for even bigger goals, if possible.

Without the effort of those who risked it all, this Orbea would not be possible. A modern Orbea of ​​the 21st century. In the name of those who form the cooperative today — and those who have been a part of it in the past — we want to show our gratitude to everyone who has contributed so much.

Eskerrik asko

Speech by Orbea President Rubén Gabilondo during the 50th anniversary celebration of Orbea as a cooperative. Mallabia, November 16, 201

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WE ARE ORBEA


Orbea was established in 1840 as a family-run company making revolvers, shotguns, and cartridges. With the outbreak of World War I, the company grew quickly. When the war ended, the firm changed business, focusing on the manufacture of precision mechanical products: prams, school desks, and, finally, bicycles. Production soon reached as many as 50,000 a year.

A few years later, an economic crisis brought Orbea to the brink of bankruptcy. This would have meant doing away with the firm and with the jobs of 1,500 families. Showing once again that they weren’t ready to give up, the workers talked the owner into transferring the business to them. The company became a cooperative, joining the Mondragon Cooperative Group in 1971. This way, they managed to keep their jobs and a brand with an already long history.

In 1975, the company moved its headquarters to its current location in Mallabia. At the new facilities, Orbea put in motion the idea of having a professional elite cycling team whose future members would include Perico Delgado – winner of the Vuelta a España 1985 – and Marino Lejarreta.. Although Orbea has always been associated with racing, it was only in 1982 that we became a sponsor of a professional road cycling team.

Later, with the emergence of mountain biking, Orbea launched an initiative that would change the brand and the industry for good - the first Orbea MTB team, led by Jokin Mujika, who won the Spanish Cyclo-Cross Championships in 1994.

With time, Orbea embarked on the process of internationalization, going beyond exclusive sales in Spain, first with exports to France and then with branches in the USA, France, Italy, the UK, Belgium, Germany, Australia and Portugal. The
global strategy was divided into three areas: products, markets and brand. At present, we operate in more than 65 countries, developing and supplying around 160,000 bicycles, cycling wear, and planning trips and events.

Since the making of its first bike, Orbea has managed to adapt to changing conditions, offering quality products with innovative designs and materials

OUR PURPOSE


Everyone knows the importance of a company’s purpose; the importance of stating it and its value as a cohesive and guiding element to define the company’s benchmarks, decisions, actions and processes. Over the last few months, on several occasions, we have heard talk about or read articles referring to the purpose of companies. This has led us to reflect on ours.
It can certainly feel uncomfortable to define the reason why your company ultimately exists. It means publicly undressing yourself, with a subsequent obligation to maintain clarity and transparency as you do so.

It’s always been clear to us what Orbea’s purpose is. And while we have sifted through different filters from which we view the company, we have always preferred it the same way: that we exist to enrich different people and teams who are intimately acquainted with our soul. By doing so, we have made a statement. Our purpose, our reason for being as a company, is very simple: TO CHANGE THE WORLD.