Who Owns Merida Bikes?

If you are familiar with cycling then you have certainly heard the name Merida before, as it is a major player in the industry, but who owns Merida Bikes?

Over the years, Merida has built a huge reputation for itself as a high-end bike manufacturer, which is why they are one of the most popular brands in the world. However, given that Merida has been involved in some major corporate acquisitions over the years, which can make it challenging to determine who actually has ownership of the company.

Merida Bikes is its own company and is not owned or run by another manufacturer. The company has been publicly traded on the stock exchange since 1992 and it is currently run by Michael Tsen who is the active CEO of Merida Bikes. In 2001, Merida bought 49% of Specialized bike company.

When it comes to major companies within the cycling industry - Merida is one of the largest manufacturers in the world and it makes more than 2 million bikes every year. There is a lot of competition within the biking industry and Merida continues to prove itself as a force to be reckoned with, as they are not only known for their expansive reach within the business but also for their long-standing as a top-notch brand. That is why so many professional riders over the years have relied on Merida’s bikes - and still do so to this day. To help you understand more about Merida, we are going to take a closer look at this bike brand in more detail.

After extensively researching Merida bikes, I have been able to gather enough information to determine the ownership of the cycling brand. My research has shown me that although Merida is not owned by another company or organization, it does have stakes in other leading bike brands in the industry.

‍Merida Bikes History

Merida is a bike manufacturer from Taiwan that has have been designing and selling bikes since the early 70s. The company immediately caught the attention of industry pros during its launch, as it began releasing high-end bicycles with advanced designs.

When Merida first began designing bikes, the vast majority of what they released were road bikes. They have since earned a reputation of being one of the best road bike manufacturers in the world - with many high-end options being released by the company every year.

However, in the mid-80s, mountain bikes started to become very popular around the globe. As it became clear that mountain biking was here to stay, Merida also hopped on this trend and began designing mountain bikes. Today, Merida has one of the most impressive and expansive line-ups of mountain bikes of any brand in the entire industry - with Full Suspension, Hard Tail, Marathon, and many more options for riders to consider.

We are now seeing a huge demand for E-Bikes, these days, with more and more riders preferring motorized assistance when they go out riding. This has resulted in Merida adapting its line-up once again to deliver high-quality E-Bikes to their customers. Given the increasing demand for E-Bikes around the globe, these bikes now make up roughly 30% of all of Merida’s sales.

Origins of Merida Bikes

In 1972, Merida’s first bikes were manufactured by Ike Tseng. However, for the next 16 years, the company would work as a manufacturer and parts provider for many companies and organizations - with their original line not holding the name ‘Merida’. From 1972 to 1988, Tseng manufactured bikes through the Raleigh Nottingham factory.

In 1988, this changed when Ike Tseng officially launched Merida as a company - placing himself as CEO. For the next 34 years, Ike Tseng ran Merida Bikes, until his passing in the year 2012. After his passing, he was succeeded by his son Michael Tseng. Since 2012 Michael Tseng has been the acting CEO of Merida Bikes.

Did Merida Bikes Ownership Change?

Merida’s official ownership has never changed. However, prior to the brand’s official launch, the original owner, Ike Tseng, was running a production line at the Raleigh Nottingham factory.

Once Merida became an official brand in 1988, it became completely independent. Over the next few decades, Merida would take stakes and partial ownership in a number of different acquisitions within the cycling industry.

Merida Bikes Sister Company

The largest business acquisition that Merida made was in 2001 when it bought 49% of Specialized. Specialized is an American bike company that is based in Morgan Hill, California. It was founded by Mike Sinyard in 1974 and he remains CEO of the company to this day.

However, after Merida’s acquisition, they took a major stake in the company when they bought nearly half of the brand for roughly $30 million. Merida is now one of the leading shareholders of the company - with Sinyard still holding the majority.

What is Merida Industry Co. Ltd?

Merida Industry Co. Ltd is a public bicycle manufacturing company in Taiwan. Over the years the company has expanded its reach and now owns multiple factories in China.

In addition, Merida has its primary research and development in Germany - where the vast majority of the company’s testing occurs.

What Other Bikes are Made by Merida Industry Co. Ltd?

The acquisition that Merida made of 49% of Specialized’s shares resulted in the company having an influence over the manufacturing of the sister company’s bikes.

Although the Specialized name has not changed since the acquisition, the two companies have worked together on bike designs. Given the large number of shares that Merida owns from Specialized, they are heavily invested financially into the success of the Specialized brand and ensure financial viability.

In addition, Merida has also worked with the bike brand Mongoose and has assisted the company with some of its manufacturing. Mongoose is a bike brand that is much more commonly associated with BMX bikes, as well as kids' bikes. However, Merida’s relationship with Mongoose is no longer active and they are not involved in manufacturing anymore.

Can You Buy Stock in Merida Bikes?

Yes, you can buy stock in Merida bikes. In 1992, Merida officially went public and opened itself up to investors and shareholders.

You can currently buy into Merida bikes at roughly $8.74 per share. Merida as a company is valued at roughly $476 million. However, this figure changes annually due to Merida’s massive production line.

Where are Merida Bikes Made?

The primary ideas and designs for Merida’s bikes are all made in Germany. Merida has opened up its research and development team in the European nation - with world-class engineers designing all of the company’s bikes for them. There is also an assembly line located in Germany used exclusively for some of Merida’s European sales.

However, Merida’s bikes are physically manufactured mainly in China and Taiwan - where they have multiple factories to fill the global demand for their bike production.

Merida Bikes Headquarters Location

The official Merida Bikes headquarters is located in Yuanlin City in Taiwan. It is the second-largest urban settlement in the country.

Are New Merida Bikes Any Good?

Merida has held a very strong reputation within the cycling industry for decades. Since the company began manufacturing, it has been highly regarded by industry pros and cycling enthusiasts as a world-class bike brand, which has not changed to this day.

Merida is a bike brand that has continuously pushed the boundaries of cycling to new limits. The highly advanced group of engineers from Merida’s research and development team, as well as the fact that their bikes are still handmade to this day, results in a superb piece of machinery as the final product.

As the world of cycling continues to evolve, Merida has proved itself to be one of the biggest brands out there, and their ever-expanding lineup of bikes is full of premium quality options designed for high-performance cycling. Merida receives praise for releasing top-notch bikes that range from mountain bikes and road bikes. However, as E-Bikes have become increasingly popular, we have seen Merida adapt to this new cycling trend to meet the demand of its customers, which is why the company now offers a variety of high-quality E-Bikes within its inventory.

All of the new bikes that Merida releases are superior in design and performance. With that being said, Merida has a variety of different bikes that are sold at different price points. Merida’s premium quality bikes, which are made with high-end parts and materials are simply world-class machines - and can become a bit pricey. On the other hand, Merida also offers a wide selection of budget-friendly bikes, which utilize less expensive parts but are still made with sophisticated designs by the company's advanced engineers.

Where to Buy Merida Bikes

If you are on the market to buy a Merida bike, there are a couple of different options for you to consider. The best place to start would be to go onto Merida’s official website. Here, you will find all of the bikes that Merida has available from their expansive lineup of options. This is the best way to find the newest bikes that Merida has available, as they showcase their products here first.

However, it is important to note that Merida does not actually sell their bikes directly from its site. Merida offers their customers the option to ‘Find a Dealer’ for their bikes. By putting in the information of your local region on Merida’s site, they will connect you with the store closest to you that has the bike that you are after.

Although this is an ideal approach to buying a Merida bike for some - it is not going to be realistic for all customers. A lot of bike shops will not carry as expansive of a selection of Merida bikes as the company showcases on the site. If you are finding that your local region does not have the bike that you want available, your next best bet is going to be to shop online. This is a much more reliable way to get the bike that you want, as the selection is often wider. However, be aware of the additional costs that can come with shipping charges.