We have Hannah out there at the moment and she has pointed us towards some unsettling developments with the Kona stand, which after setting up shop on Tuesday was seemingly disassembled on Wednesday with apparently no comment from staff as to why they were leaving the site.
The bike industry trade website BRAIN is reporting that the CEO of Kent Outdoors, owners of the Kona brand, told employees on Wednesday to break the stand down. They also report that employees have been told to expect a ‘town hall’ meeting on Thursday.
Speculation that the brand may be in some form of cost cutting mode is as yet unconfirmed but recently they have been moving to a direct to consumer sales model and have been offering two for the price of one deals on some bikes in their range.
Kent Outdoors bought the Kona brand from it’s founders 2 years go. The brand’s HQ was moved from Ohio to Utah following the buyout.
That’s all we can report for sure at the moment but we will update this news story as more information is available.
I’m posting anonymously due to potential repercussions, but as someone who works at Kona under Kent Outdoors, I feel compelled to share the distressing realities we face and urge you to take action.
Kent Outdoors is currently run by short-sighted individuals who are utterly disconnected from the communities, sports, and people attached to their brands. Their lack of understanding and interest in cycling and any other sport has not only led to poor decision making but also to a toxic corporate environment where Kona and their other brands are suffering greatly. Under their management, Kona has accumulated millions of dollars in unpaid debts to our suppliers (Fairly and Hodaka), with no attempts made to negotiate or even communicate, effectively planning to stiff them. This strategy isn’t limited to Kona; it’s a disturbing pattern that is evident across all brands under the Kent Outdoors umbrella. I urge all suppliers and partners across the board that do business with Kent Outdoors to be careful. Everyone should be seriously concerned about this pattern of non-payment and poor business ethics.
The working conditions here are more than just poor—they’re abysmal. Communication is practically non-existent now under the new management, creating a chaotic environment where decisions are made without transparency or employee input. The stress of potentially not getting paid has been a reality for some of us, adding to an overwhelming sense of job insecurity. Long hours, and weekend work, is the norm all without additional compensation or even basic recognition of our hard work.
The only individuals who seem to survive and even advance under the current regime are the “yes men” those who align too readily with a flawed agenda, lacking critical engagement or genuine passion for the brands. This has caused significant unrest among other brands under the Kent Outdoors umbrella, who are equally upset about these new leaders. Their inability to effectively manage people, combined with a lack of fundamental understanding of the communities they serve, is rapidly destroying the companies. These leaders are not just failing; they are actively dismantling the very essence of what made all of these brands successful.
The company is not just being led poorly; it’s being led by individuals who don’t seem to care about the damage they’re doing to the brands, communities, or people. Any company considering a partnership with Kent Outdoors should seriously reconsider. Any customer should consider carefully buying products from our companies since who knows if we will even have the parts to support them.
In light of these issues, I am calling on all community members to join us in boycotting all Kent Outdoors brands. We need to demonstrate that these destructive practices are unacceptable. By uniting and applying public pressure, we hope to initiate a significant change in Kent Outdoors’ direction and leadership to a model that values the employees, respects the community, and truly understands the sports industries they are part of.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and for any support you can lend. Let’s stand together to save Kona and the other brands we cherish*
Tätä terässiipeä tuutataan nyt mulle kovasti mainonnassa ja painohan oli lopulta 14,5kg, varmaan ilman polkimia. “Vahvuus mahdollistaa parhaimmillaan 1mm seinämäpaksuuden käytön, jonka ansiosta pyörästä on saatu totuttua teräspyörää kevyempi.”
