KTM moves into new Austrian headquarters
Following one year of construction and an investment of more than 12 million euros, KTM Factory Racing is entering a new era with the official opening of its new Motorsport Building in Munderfing.
“It is a great honor for us to be here in the new KTM Motorsport Building, and in the presence of the most important worldwide promoters, sponsors, team managers, the entire board of the KTM Group, WP and Pankl board members, chief designer Gerald Kiska, and of course, our factory riders and motorsport employees. A new building was inevitable after the integration of ‘Husqvarna’ three years ago, and the decision to go into the MotoGP class. For this concept, it was a matter of great concern to us that the entire KTM Motorsport family could strive for further success under one roof. A special thanks to the team from Architekturbüro Hofbauer from Wels for the brilliant planning. With Stefan Pierer as a great thinker and leader of the KTM Group, and with the passion of our employees, we will be able to pursue further major goals together and celebrate our future successes,” said Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsport director.
Since KTM’s first World Championship title in 1974 by Gennadij Moiseev (Motocross 250), the brand has up to now earned 269 more world championship titles, 15 consecutive Dakar Rally victories, and in the last two seasons has taken the final big title in offroad motorsports, first place in the Supercross World Championship. Now, after an early victory in the 2016 Moto3 World Championship, KTM in 2017 enters Moto2, the intermediary category of road racing, and the premiere class, MotoGP.
“Motorsport is nothing without strong promoters and loyal sponsors, so we are particularly pleased to welcome them all here on this special day. In 1992 KTM Racing was still a single small workshop, and successfully tackled Rally and Motocross alongside the initial niche of Enduro under the strong leadership of Heinz Kinigadner. Meanwhile, since Pit Beirer took over our motorsport in 2006, the team has grown to more than 300 employees worldwide and employs more than 60 factory riders. READY TO RACE and motor racing are a way of thinking that keeps the company fresh and drives our more than 3000 employees in Mattighofen and Munderfing every day. Five percent of our annual sales flows into our motorsport and makes KTM Europe’s biggest sport motorcycle manufacturer with the ambitious goal of being on the podium all over the world in the coming years,” said Stefan Pierer, CEO of KTM Group.
The new Motorsport Building covers an area of 18,000 square meters (193,750 square feet). It is located directly behind KTM’s Engine Factory in Munderfing and is flanked by the new KTM Logistic Center and the WP Group. The ground floor offers an area of 110 x 60 meters, enough space for workshops in the categories Motocross, Enduro, Rally, and MotoGP, including truck parking bays. The first floor has over 2000 m2 of storage space, while the upper floor has 50 modern offices for 180 employees. About half of the KTM Motorsport employees can thus benefit from the perfect infrastructure during daily operation, and provide the basis for the company’s unique commitment to global motorsport.
