RONAL GROUP and the Callista Group have legally concluded the sale of the subsidiary SPEEDLINE S.r.l. (Tabina, Italy) including the brands ‘SPEEDLINE’ and ‘SPEEDLINE CORSE’ as of October 1, 2023. By August 1 of this year, the participating Italian trade unions and SPEEDLINE employees had agreed to the sale contract.
Both seller and buyer have agreed not to disclose the details of the transaction; however, it is understood that SPEEDLINE S.r.l. will continue its activities in Tabina for premium OEM customers, the SPEEDLINE CORSE aftermarket, and the racing segment, while RONAL GROUP will continue its supporting activities for the Italian market, as well as groupwide activities, in its new company RONAL Italia Services S.r.l. This new company will retain its registered office in Tabina.
Oliver Brauner, CEO of RONAL GROUP, is satisfied with the result of “the intensive negotiations with all parties involved, which included not only Callista, but also representatives from Italian politics and trade unions. I would like to thank everyone involved for the constructive – ultimately successful – process, which secures SPEEDLINE’s future.”
“We are looking forward to working with all parties in the future as we guide SPEEDLINE, a company with a long history, back to its previous heights of achievement. Our clear goal is to become the leading manufacturer of aluminum wheels for the supersport segment and, in doing so, remain a trusted partner of the premium OEMs. We understand the challenges that need to be addressed and are ready to work with the people on the ground to tackle them,” commented Christopher Irion, Chief Investment Officer of Callista.
Agreement on the coexistence of the SPEEDLINE, SPEEDLINE CORSE, and SPEEDLINE TRUCK brands
Both the company and the trademark rights of ‘SPEEDLINE TRUCK’ are excluded from the transaction and will remain entirely with RONAL GROUP. In a bid to avoid market confusion, RONAL GROUP and the Callista Group have entered into a brand coexistence agreement, which fundamentally stipulates that both companies undertake not to enter the respective business areas of the other under the existing name and trademark registrations. If either of the two parties intends to do so in the future, a clear distinction will have to be made in the naming of the company or brand to avoid confusion among the customer bases of SPEEDLINE, SPEEDLINE CORSE, and SPEEDLINE TRUCK.