An affiliate of Garmin has signed a definitive agreement to acquire all outstanding shares of Tacx Onroerend en Roerend Goed B.V., a Dutch company whose trade name is Tacx. The agreement is subject to regulatory approvals and closing conditions but should reach completion in the second quarter of this year. Tacx was founded in 1957 as a repair shop in the Dutch town of Wassenaar. In 1972, the company began making roller cylinders to enable cyclists to train at home. Now, forty-some years later, it produces smart trainers that reproduce bumpy roads and synchronize films of bike trails that cyclists can watch on their TVs as they train. Best known for its Neo 2 and Flux series of trainers, the company also produces training apps and a bicycle treadmill called Magnum. At present, Tacx is a privately held, vertically integrated company with its own R&D department. It remains based in Wassenaar, with a distribution center in Vogt, Germany. The company sells its products in about 80 countries and employs just under 200 people, who will presumably be joining Garmin's staff.

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