Ducati targets speedier sales in Australia, New Zealand with new subsidiary headed by Sergi Canovas

Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati is gunning for speedier sales in two of its main markets outside of Europe — Australia and New Zealand. After a 55-year-long partnership with NF Importers, which manages its sales in these two countries, Ducati is to open a fully owned subsidiary, which will become effective starting April 2020.

The new Ducati subsidiary will be under the leadership of Sergi Canovas, who comes with long experience in the motorcycle industry, including India. Canovas, for the last three years, has headed up the team of Ducati India, as managing director.

NF Importers, the current Ducati importer, started the Ducati distribution business in Sydney in 1964, expanding the network to 24 dealerships that today cover the entire continent as well as New Zealand. Now NF Importers and Ducati have together decided to to take further advantage of the current state of the Australian market.

By planning to maintain full control of all the directly owned dealers in Australia, NF Importers aims to further enhance its focus on the retail and the direct contact and relationship with customers, while business operations for the entire continent and New Zealand will be taken over by the new Ducati subsidiary, with the objective of further strengthening Ducati’s brand positioning as well as the quality of service and activities that Ducatisti have access to.

According to Francesco Milicia - VP (Global Sales and Aftersales), NF Importers, “We have represented the Ducati brand very successfully in good and bad market conditions since 1964 and have established the Ducati brand as one of the predominant prestige motorcycle marques in Australia and more recently New Zealand. We have built the brand together with our Ducati friends from virtually nil in this country to where it is today. We have put an estimated 55,000 Ducati motorcycles into the Australian and New Zealand markets, we have consistently been one of the highest achieving countries in terms of market share and we have built a large and loyal band of Ducatisti.”

Canovas, Managing Director, Ducati Australia and New Zealand, said: “I am extremely happy and honored to take this responsibility. Ducati has been well represented by NF Importers and I am looking forward to continue the fruitful relationship with them on the retail side. Establishing the subsidiary in Australia and New Zealand will assert the brand’s DNA and values of Ducati, translating them into an enhanced experience for all our Ducatisti across Australia and New Zealand."