WR1: Industry Nine integrates We Are One Composites

Following the acquisition revealed roughly one year ago, Industry Nine has fleshed out the detail on how it is integrating We Are One Composites as part of its new category-focused strategy.

The two North American manufacturers explained its reorganisation and integration of We Are One Composites as Industry Nine’s dedicated carbon manufacturing and rim design division. The We Are One brand will show up on all Industry Nine rims under the brand name WR1. Now combined, the engineering and manufacturing teams in Kamloops, B.C. will bolster Industry Nine’s complete ownership and in-house control over every wheel made.

“This isn’t a rebrand,” said the press statement: “This is a decision to let two strong  manufacturers own what they were already doing best. The benefit is that they are now working in parallel, with shared purpose, building wheel systems collectively. This will benefit the rider with better quality, better service and enhancing the existing product offerings in each category.”

Industry Nine has manufactured everything in-house in Asheville since day one. CNC-machined hubs, proprietary aluminium spokes, in-house anodizing, hand-built assembly. Every component that leaves the building was made in that building. The manufacturing team in Kamloops offers the same ethos through a completely different process. Hand-laid carbon, in-house vertical  integration, all built by people who check their own work. Different methods, different raw materials, but the same culture.

Dustin Adams, CEO of Industry Nine, said: “Harnessing the focused power of both of our manufacturing capabilities was no small task. We wanted to ensure the best of both shops shine through in the product and showcase the people behind the product. We have both invested heavily in North American Manufacturing and are stronger because of it.”

WR1

It was felt the rim division needed its own identity, reflecting the difference in the work and the same standards – WR1. It’s the rim design house and carbon manufacturing house inside of Industry Nine. Vertical integration of engineering, mould design, carbon layup and aluminium rim development are now WR1’s focus. Every rim will carry the same standard that made We Are One one of the most trusted names in carbon. The hand-laid carbon process that built We Are One’s reputation is unchanged. What’s changed is the depth of collaboration. WR1’s engineers will now work directly with Industry Nine’s engineers in Asheville to co-develop category-specific wheel systems from the ground up.

Zach Cobb, Asheville Engineering Lead, Industry Nine, said: “We’re now in a unique position to control the design and supply chain of nearly every component of our flagship product, the wheel. This allows us to better consider the needs of one component as it relates to the other. It allows us to not compromise due to supplier limitations, while also allowing us to better protect the trade secrets we uncover along the way.”

The newly launched wheel line-up is now organised by category: Cross Country, Trail, Enduro, Downhill, Ebike, Dirt Jump, Gravel, and Bikepacking. Each wheelset is treated as a complete system, with the WR1 rim profile, Industry Nine spokes and hub architecture developed together for the specific demands of each discipline.

The statement added: “This is the kickoff point for leading in each category. From here we are excited to build upon our collective experience. Iteration is the work. Not a phase in the development. The ability to go back and make something better, again and again until it’s actually right, is what both teams have always believed in. Nothing slows that down now. Two highly capable manufacturers operating on all cylinders. Every WR1 rim that leaves the facility in Kamloops and every hub, spoke, or component that leaves Industry Nine in Asheville combine to make the same thing–a product that was built specifically to benefit the rider in each category. Assembled by skilled hands, with intention, in North America.”