Stefan Everts becomes a shareholder in Yoko
Motocross legend Stefan Everts retired from competition in 2006 after becoming world champion for the tenth time became. Since then, the Belgian has been active as race manager for KTM's factory team and led the Suzuki factory team.
After Suzuki withdrew from the MXGP at the end of 2017, Everts shifted his attention to coaching his son Liam. Liam (14) is one of Europe's most promising young riders and will make his debut in the EMX125 this season.
Jan Berthels, Everts' friend and suspension manager during his championship years, is currently CEO of Yoko Europe. Everts was therefore able to closely follow Yoko's return to the forefront. Everts' interest ultimately translated into a business participation. Stefan Everts will become a shareholder in both Yoko Europe and parent company Yoko Sports.
“I remember seeing Yoko's legendary Y logo as a child on the equipment of top players like David Thorpe, Andre Malherbe en Hakan Carlqvist. Something like that brings back great memories. Yoko was absent from motocross for a long time, but it is still a brand that everyone remembers and still impresses with its rich history. That is why I am very excited to come on board with Yoko,” says Everts enthusiastically.
In addition to his participation in the shares, Everts plays a role in the development and marketing of Yoko. He will also serve as a talent scout for the Yoko Team Pilot program. Everts is known as an extremely technical rider and, together with his son Liam, has been testing Yoko's racing clothing since last summer. The appearance, lightness and durability of the new collection have impressed 'The Legend': “The new range looks very fresh, but the selection of materials has made the biggest impression on me. I think Yoko's experience in making clothing for other sports and demanding weather conditions gives us an advantage in terms of product development and the knowledge gained outside the motorcycle sector. I believe that with Yoko we have every chance to become one of the world's leading motorcycle clothing brands again,” says Everts.
Jani Gustafsson, CEO of Yoko Sports: “It goes without saying that the fact that Everts is a shareholder gives us a competitive advantage in many areas. Our product development will benefit greatly from his experience with motocross gear and the process of testing them. His reputation and extensive network are invaluable both in terms of marketing and when entering into new partnerships. We strongly believe in Yoko's growth in Finland and abroad. We currently offer a great range for motocross, enduro and street motorcycles, as well as snowmobile and team clothing. We have also just launched our brand new webshop on yoko-europe.com, where people can see and buy Yoko products.”
About Yoko
Juha Tirinen and Kaija Gustafsson founded Yoko in 1977. Their first product was a Finnish baseball glove, after which the company also started producing motocross clothing. The motocross equipment was a success. Yoko has won several world titles and American championships. In 1983, Yoko also successfully entered cross-country skiing. Yoko was the first brand to use Gore-Tex materials in its motorcycle suits in 1987. From 1987 the focus shifted to ski clothing, in 1994 this was expanded to the production of skis, ski poles and ski boots. In 2013, all Yoko product lines were reunited under the same banner when Yoko Sports regained its license to manufacture motorcycle clothing. Yoko's current offering includes products for off-road and street motorcycles, ski suits, poles and boots, skis, as well as clothing for cyclists, snowmobile riders and team clothing. Additional information can be found here: yoko-europe.com
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