MerlinBike

March 5, 1998

Dear Merlin Customers,

The rumors are true. Merlin is now part of Hyde Athletic Industries. Below you will find the official press release.

I am sure several of you may be wondering whether joining Hyde is a good or bad thing for Merlin. Let me be the first to tell you that joining Hyde is excellent for Merlin. Hyde recognizes Merlin’s strength in areas such as manufacturing, product development, and customer service. However, we all recognize that Merlin needs to improve in the areas of brand promotion and dealer services. By joining Hyde we will be able to leverage the successes Hyde experienced with Quintana Roo. Rest assured that Hyde is committed to Merlin’s success, and that Hyde will provide the required resources.

Merlin’s spirit in being the benchmark and standard for performance and quality remains unchanged. We are a product driven company and will continue to push the performance envelope. With a new infusion of working capital, Merlin intends to enhance its services, to drive strong brand promotion, and to advance new product innovations. This will translate into better service for our customers. We want our best customers to feel and understand that Merlin is not just a decal on a Ti frame, but a place, a philosophy, an ideal. As always, Merlin is a brand that can be counted on.

The internal operations at Merlin will not change. As a division of Hyde, Merlin will remain in control of its own growth and destiny. Hyde’s acquisition of Merlin will enable us to concentrate on what has made Merlin stand apart from other bicycle companies: customer service, on-time deliveries, competitive pricing, superior quality, product innovation, and customer satisfaction. Our overall objective is simple: we plan to promote the brand, introduce new products, service our customers, and grow Merlin.

All of us here at Merlin are looking forward to servicing you as we move forward with Hyde.

Best Regards,

Federico Larco
General Manager, Merlin

Read the Press Release