Brompton is to invest £100m in a new factory built on a recently restored wetland at Ashford in Kent. The radical development will stand on stilts to safeguard against flooding and not include any new car parking facilities but rather rely on new walking and cycle routes from the local railway station.
“The whole reason this works is everything about it is slightly mad,” said Will Butler-Adams, Brompton’s chief executive as he announced the plans before explaining the company aims to increase production almost threefold from the current 70,000 to 200,000 bikes a year.
Brompton success story
While countless businesses languish as a result of covid-19, others are seeing their sales speed up. Perhaps it’s due to people seeking a new way to exercise, or taking advantage of quieter roads, but it’s estimated that sales of bicycles are up by around fifteen per cent.
“People are thinking, I want to have independence,” says Will Butler-Adams, chief executive of the folding bike company, Brompton.
Design
Brompton is a design classic that is practical, easy to use and instantly recognisable. Furthermore, it’s a beacon of commercially successful British engineering. Brompton is not only a success in British manufacturing but has revolutionised the way bicycles can be used in this country. The bike’s party trick is a clever, bomb-proof folding mechanism that appeals to commuters prevented from carrying full-size bikes on trains. “Many are all too quick to write off UK manufacturing as dead and buried but if you look a little closer you’ll find a lot of small, entrepreneurial companies that are exciting, innovative and prosperous” says Butler-Adams.
Innovation
Andrew Ritchie built the first Brompton bike in 1979 and has been refining the design ever since. However, some might say the brand has been slow to innovate. In fact, Brompton owners are such a resourceful bunch that they retrofitted electric motors to their folders before the factory produced battery assist version was launched. And one owner addressed criticism of the Brompton’s weight by building one that tips the scales at under 6KG.
The ethical choice
The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.
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Jonathan Hunt
I’m impressed with my Brompton. I no longer work in London but it makes a fine bike for any town. I chose a minimalist 2 speed version to keep things simple. It’s great to ride to coffee shops and pubs, as it will fold and fits under a table. If you get the rack and bag you can also carry an impressive amount on it. I bought a luggage bag for it, packed a weeks worth of stuff, rode to Heathrow (not very cycling friendly to get there by the way), packed the bike in the luggage and then rode 60km to my hotel in Denver! Went through as standard luggage and then I had a bike to use for the week.
It’s pleasing to see a UK company doing well. I would how much they export and if they have problems doing that.