Students Visit YT Industries U.S. HQ

by Joe Sheldon (SMBA ’23)

SDSU Sports MBA class visited the YT Industries’ American Headquarters in San Clemente, California

On November 16th, 2022, the SDSU Sports MBA class visited the YT Industries’ American Headquarters in San Clemente, California. YT Industries sells mountain bikes directly to consumers, and its global base of operations is in Germany. The class was given a tour and the opportunity to chat with SDSU alumnus Robert Kreowski, the company’s Director of Finance and Accounting. Robert gave students insight into the particularities of running the financial side of an international business.

The students were particularly interested in how the lingering issues with the pandemic have impacted the demand for YT’s bikes. The outdoor industry grew tremendously in 2020 as people were eager to get out of their houses and recreate safely. Of course, supply chain issues made it difficult for YT to keep up with consumer demand. YT Industries prides themselves on being a price leader in an inherently expensive industry. To combat this incongruence, YT Industries works with Affirm to provide financing at 0% APR. While YT Industries expects demand to cool into 2023, they are confident that the increased interest in outdoor recreation will remain significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels of demand. 

Visiting the YT showroom and seeing the variety of product lines up close was an amazing experience for the students. One of the most valuable insights the class learned from speaking to Robert Kreowski was to make sure to seek out a career doing something that you love. The employees at YT Industries have an incredible opportunity to use their products in their own backyard on a daily basis, positively contributing to the active culture of the organization. The students are thankful to Robert Kreowski and YT Industries for the time, and we look forward to seeing how the company continues to succeed in a growing, competitive industry.