They say that first impressions last and if that’s true, employees of troubled Gas Gas certainly made quite an impression to KTM->ke1954 officials who visited the company’s headquarters in Gerona, Spain.
A report from enduropro has been making the rounds involving a less-than-traditional greeting officials from KTM received when it paid a visit to Gas Gas headquarters. Instead of the more traditional handshakes and welcome greetings, these employees decided to burn two stacks of tires at the main entrance. It’s a little sophomoric, but not to the point that it crosses any lines of decency.
Well, apparently, the resentment for KTM, which has expressed interest in buying Gas Gas, is real enough that a mannequin was even used to welcome the Austrian brand. The said mannequin, by the way, was displayed hanging from a rope outside one of the buildings windows with an accompanying message that read “This is not your home.”
According to enduropro, such a greeting from Gas Gas employees has happened in the past, particularly to officials of MV Agusta who reportedly went through something similar. It’s not the most civilised way to behave, but you have to give the people behind this a little bit of dap for having a big set of chutzpah to pull something off.
Manners be damned, apparently, and they’re not afraid to make their opinions known, no matter whose feelings end up getting hurt.
Continue reading to read more about Gas Gas’ rude welcome for visiting officials from KTM.
Why it matters
I understand that employees of Gas Gas are worried about a potential take-over from a conglomerate like KTM, but to behave in that manner, ballsy as it may be, is still not reflective of proper etiquette.
Burning tires is one thing, but hanging a mannequin wearing KTM gear? That’s a little too far, folks. Even the not-so-subtle message “this is not your home” is pushing it a little bit. Gas Gas employees may believe that they were justified in doing so out of fears that a KTM takeover would end up with them losing their jobs.
These fears may have been compounded by rumors that under KTM ownership, Gas Gas’ current employees would be laid off because the Austrian manufacturer would have no use for them. All it needs is Gas Gas’ intellectual property and anything that’s deemed expendable, including the current workforce, would be given the boot.
It’s a possibility in the event KTM does buy Gas Gas. But it also hasn’t happened yet, nor is it going to happen should the Austrian brand push through with the acquisition. The truth is that KTM hasn’t even agreed to buy Gas Gas and what happened at the company headquarters in Spain was tantamount to mere paranoia of what could end up happening.
We’ve seen time and again that actions rooted on fear and paranoia often don’t have happy endings. Even if KTM does agree to buy Gas Gas, it’s not a foregone conclusion that the company’s office in Gerona would be treated the same way as Husqvarna’s facility in Varese.
Going about it the way it did reflects a lack of professionalism on the part of Gas Gas' employees. So even if KTM does decide to keep the Gerona facility open in the event it does purchase Gas Gas, who's to say that the new owners would keep these rambunctious renegades in the fold.