Cannondale Will Move Global HQ to the Netherlands, Shutter Offices in Connecticut

Cannondale will close its long-time home office in Wilton, Connecticut and layoff nearly 150 employees by early 2027, according to recent filings and releases from the company.

Cannondale will relocate its global headquarters to Woudenberg, Netherlands, which currently serves as the brand’s European division lead office. The research and development and engineering functions will remain based out of offices in Germany.

Cycling Sports Group, the business unit that operates the Cannondale brand, filed WARN notices with the Connecticut Department of Labor earlier today. In a letter to the Department of Labor, global vice president of people for Cycling Sports Group Maggie Lansdale wrote, “The entire office will be closed and almost all employees there will be impacted. The first separations are expected to occur on December 21, 2026, and separations are expected to continue in phases through December 31, 2027. The closure and separations will be permanent.”

In a statement announcing the move, Cannondale said, “For more than five decades, Connecticut has been instrumental in shaping Cannondale into one of cycling’s most influential brands. Cannondale is deeply grateful to the team members whose passion, creativity, and commitment built this incredible foundation. The innovative spirit they fostered remains a core part of Cannondale’s DNA as the brand proudly carries its legacy into this next chapter of growth and rider-focused innovation.

The anticipated layoffs total 143 named individuals, and includes cuts to engineering, product development, sales, marketing, finance, human resources and customer support.

As part of the changes, Cannondale will create a new North American office based on the West Coast of the United States. They will also on-board new outside sales representatives who will look to be the single point of contact for dealers for all three of their key brands — Cannondale, Cervelo, and Santa Cruz.

“This builds on two years of closer commercial collaboration between the brands to offer retailers greater choice. For retailers carrying more than one brand, this means a single point of contact and simpler ordering and support services. The aim is to make it easier for retailers to work with Cannondale and access more of the Pon.Bike portfolio. Each brand will retain its own identity, models and relationship with riders,” according to a company statement.

The ceasing of operations at the Connecticut facility closes the books on 55 years in business for Cannondale within the state. Founded in a small Connecticut workshop in 1971, the brand became extremely popular with a mix of aluminum and carbon-fiber framed bicycles (including, of course, the Slice, which was extremely prominent in Hawaii underneath the likes of Chrissie Wellington), as well as the Lefty fork.

Over the last two decades, though, Cannondale has seen its ownership change multiple times. The company was bought out of bankruptcy in 2003 by Pegasus Capital Advisors for $58 million. A little more than four years later, in early 2008 Pegasus sold Cannondale (and apparel company Sugoi) to Dorel Sports for $200 million. Dorel created the Cycling Sports Group, which housed Cannondale and the Mongoose, Schwinn, and GT brands. Pon Holdings, the group behind Cervelo and Santa Cruz (among others), purchased Dorel Sports in 2022 for $810 million.

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