Jaguar and Panther Brands Officially Taken Over

For Leader 96 OOD, last year was a positive one after investing €6 million in another Bulgarian production facility. Now, the good news extends after they revealed ownership of the Jaguar and Panther brands (previously belonging to German company Panther International GmbH).

Within Germany, these two brands have a long and successful history after first starting back in 1907 (Panther) and 1940 (Jaguar). For Leader 96, who has been in business since 1996, they want to expand the reputation of the brands adding to their current output of 400,000 units per year. Currently, the company has over 550 employees and provides models for different niches including mountain, e-bikes, kid’s, folding, city, fitness, and road bikes. Despite two production facilities in Bulgaria, 19 in every 20 bikes leave the country for Finland, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Denmark, and more.

CEO of Leader 96, Dimitar Zlatanov, has said “The acquisition of the well-known German brands Panther and Jaguar, is an important step for our company as we always strive to improve the range and quality of bicycles that we offer to our clients. We look forward to supporting the further growth of the two brands on the European markets.”

Founder and Managing Partner of Panther International, Michael Schminke, noted “The long-standing business relationship between Panther International GmbH and Leader 96 OOD, has always been successful and is characterized by joint progress. The know-how and especially the growth of our Bulgarian partner offer great opportunities for the further development and establishment of the brands Panther and Jaguar.”