Henry Schimberg Named Executive Chairman of Indian Motorcycle Company
14 February 2000
Henry Schimberg Named Executive Chairman of Indian Motorcycle Company
NEW YORK Feb. 14, 2000--It's Love Between Former Coca-Cola Executive and Resurgent Motorcycle
Manufacturer; Schimberg's Retirement Lasts Six Weeks
The board of directors of the Indian Motorcycle Company(R) announced the appointment of Henry Schimberg as the executive chairman of the Indian Motorcycle Company.
Schimberg, the recently retired president and CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. -- a Fortune 200 company and the world's largest marketer, producer and distributor of beverages of The Coca-Cola Co. -- is among the group of investors responsible for the rebirth of the Indian Motorcycle Company over the past year. Schimberg's appointment was announced during a financial presentation at the Pierre Hotel in Manhattan.
"Henry Schimberg has had an exceptional career in the beverage industry, building both companies and their brands," said Indian Motorcycle Company President Rey Sotelo in describing Schimberg's role at Indian. "We look forward to having Henry as a key leader and mentor of our management team."
Schimberg said: "I feel success is determined by defining the operational culture within a company and motivating its employees toward the achievement of stated goals. I am looking to establish this consistency of purpose with all departments and personnel at Indian."
Gordon Burns, board member of Indian Motorcycle Company, added: "We value Henry's experience in nurturing major worldwide brands. What (Indian president) Rey Sotelo is to our motorcycle manufacturing and sales efforts, Henry Schimberg will be to building our brand. We look forward to having him help lead this venerable brand into the 21st century."
Schimberg returns to the boardroom and workplace after some six weeks in retirement. A career-long veteran of the soft drink and bottling industry, Schimberg started his career as a driver-salesman for Royal Crown Bottling Co. of Chicago. He rapidly advanced to management and executive positions, and became president and COO of Johnston Coca-Cola Bottling Group in 1982, a position he retained when it merged with Coca-Cola Enterprises. He was elected president and CEO in 1998.
Coca-Cola Enterprises has operations in the United States and Canada, a market of approximately 216 million people. Its markets in Europe include Great Britain, Belgium, Luxemburg, the Netherlands and France, a market of approximately 137 million people.
Indian Motorcycle
Founded in 1901 by bicycle racer George Hendee, in Springfield, Mass., Indian is America's first and most venerable motorcycle brand. The Indian Chief(TM), of which only 1,100 were made in 1999, is an imposing, remarkable machine, technologically advanced with classic styling redolent of the Indians of the '40s and '50s.
The Scout(TM), first introduced in 1920 and the most popular model in the history of the brand, will be re-launched mid-year 2000. Each bike, a labor of love, forged from cold steel, is hand-assembled from the ground up in Indian's factory in Gilroy, Calif.
Note to Editors: The Indian Motorcycle logos, Indian Motorcycle, Chief, Scout, the skirted fender design and the war bonnet lamp and decal design are trademarks of IMCOA Licensing America Inc.
The 2000 Indian Chief has a M.S.R.P. of $23,995 and is available now at Indian dealers across the country. To locate the nearest dealer, visit the company on the Web at www.indianmotorcycle.com.