Meeting a Scottish ‘Chris King’ in the making

It’s not every day you get invited to a conversation with an engineering business that sees itself as a Scottish ‘Chris King’ in the making, yet that’s exactly what happened when Mark Downie from ADVNTR Media Group asked CI.N to hop on a Teams call with Jamie Duncan from CSS.

Not setting the bar low here then! Yet when you hear what CSS are about, it’ll all make sense.

First up, to set the scene; why the call happened. Our conversation starts with Mark and Jamie asking arguably the big question:

How serious are bike brands about actually reshoring their manufacturing?

I mean, we hear from the biggest names in the industry that East Asia based manufacturing, combined with ‘to market’ logistic, is the primary reason for challenges with supply chain, resulting in inconsistent product availability for retailers. Keeping this in mind, ask yourself,

“…when was the last time we saw a global bike brand announce a UK manufacturing partnership?”

Why is this? As an industry, and as a manufacturing location with capability, are we really not being heard when emphasising the manufacturing capabilities of OEM’s here in the UK?

Is that a perception thing? Is it awareness?

A quick look for engineering excellence in the UK reveals that almost the entire F1 and Indycar industry – world class engineering and manufacturing – takes place in the UK. There’s engineering expertise that sees boats designed and built in the UK which go on to race transatlantic and round the world. We’ve brands like Hope and Atherton bikes here, true specialists with UK designed and manufactured end product which is shipped globally. Despite this, UK based OEM manufacturing seems not to be on the radar of global bike brands.

Is the talk of reshoring just that. All talk.

Let’s be clear: CSS is ready to work for brands who want to start making outstanding product, here in the UK.

The business has the engineering expertise and capability to develop and deliver its own bike industry product; PINND, a dedicated MTB brand. This is possible because it’s not remotely their first rodeo. CSS are a business able to design, rapid prototype, test, evaluate, iterate, and manufacture complete products for deliver to their customers.

Questioning our capability?

CSS have recognised supplier status for Precision CNC Machined parts to industry sectors including:

• Aerospace
• Defence
• Space (Satellite Telecommunications)
• Medical
• Oil & Gas
• Renewables
• Motorsports

As you’d rightly expect, with clients like this, the business has accreditation – AS9100D & BS EN ISO 9001:2015 – of the kind required when developing and delivering high quality, seamless, manufacturing process to our customers, from start to finish.

Full automation means consistency, quality, and lower cost

So, there’s design and manufacturing capability and capacity, and a global client list spanning a variety of complex and demanding industries, yet still no call from a global bike brand or manufacturer?

Which is more than a little bemusing.

At this stage Jamie makes the following points:

• CSS is in the business of making things that last. Sustainability is designed in at the start.
• If there’s questions about capability to manufacture at volume, we produced 600 pedals as a first full production run – during lockdown.
• You want ‘just in time’ manufacturing, to better manage working capital, and control inventory. CSS do that.
• You want full automation with a production run that goes 24/7. CSS does that.
• You want anodised? There’s a partner who does that. CSS send your finished product direct

So, back to the original question; “Is the reshoring conversation we hear from global bike brands just talk?”

If you’re a bike brand keen to work with a premium engineering business, CSS are actively looking to work with new partners, who see the expertise and capability they offer and recognise an opportunity to make a statement, with UK engineered and manufactured product.

Located in Fife, with an airport only an hour of the CSS factory, Jamie and the team are keen to meet and show prospective clients the facilities on site, as an introduction to CSS and the capability they offer partners.

What’s next?

The PINND brand will see MTB focused cranksets and hydraulic brake sets (levers and callipers) launch in the not so distant future.

Watch this space.