Franz Koch, a German entrepreneur who has spent some 35 years in the sporting goods industry, is taking on the distribution in Europe of Sting, an Australian brand of boxing gloves and other products. He will also help a Taiwanese fitness equipment manufacturer, GooHoo, to grow in the region. Founded in 2003, Sting already has a presence in more than 25 countries in five continents. The brand has become the boxing equipment partner of the German Boxing Federation (DBV), and Koch plans to strike similar agreements in other countries. Among his multiple stations, Koch served as global sales director for Kettler in 2003-06, after working for Prince, Pro Kennex and Icon Health & Fitness. He then ran the European operations of Green Fitness, a distributor of Reebok fitness equipment and Adidas tennis tables, and Sportart3, a licensee for Adidas boxing and mixed martial arts equipment. He also worked for Strengthmaster in Europe. Koch set up his own German-based consultancy, K1 Sports Brand, last October.

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