Messingschlager GmbH & Co. KG continues its strategic realignment and strengthens its management team with the appointment of Christoph Helmrich as Director of Sales, effective February 1, 2026. In his new role, Helmrich will be responsible for the company’s international sales activities and the strategic direction of marketing. He succeeds Bernhard Schambeck, who departed the company at the end of 2025.

Helmrich has been with Messingschlager for many years and is widely regarded as an experienced industry expert with a strong leadership profile. Most recently, he led the Benelux region and the company’s e-commerce division, both of which recorded strong and sustained growth under his leadership.

Clear strategic focus on the future, customer value, and innovation

Beyond this personnel appointment, Messingschlager is further sharpening its long-term strategic direction. The company aims not only to support its retail partners with solutions to today’s challenges, but also to unlock new opportunities that deliver immediate value—and, in some cases, entirely new perspectives for the market.

“We want to be a partner that not only responds to challenges, but identifies them early and develops genuine opportunities for our customers,” says CEO Christoph Bantle. “Messingschlager combines its strong roots with a clear focus on the future—and Christoph Helmrich embodies this balance between tradition and innovation.”

Process modernization for a dynamic market

To meet the evolving demands of the bicycle and mobility industry, Messingschlager is undertaking a comprehensive modernization of its internal processes. The focus is on efficiency, digitalization, and maximum product compliance, with the aim of providing partners with greater security, speed, and transparency.

The strategic path is clearly defined: a return to the company’s core strengths in innovative, quality-driven sourcing, combined with a consistent focus on the market, customers, and digitalization.

“This combination of tradition and future readiness forms the foundation for opening up new perspectives and real development opportunities for retailers,” says Christoph Helmrich. “I am very much looking forward to taking on this responsibility and shaping the next stages of Messingschlager’s development together with the team.”

Christoph Helmrich (left) and Christoph Bantle (right)
Photo: Messingschlager