Scomadi: Return of the Preston Panther
With a £7.6 million investment, a new factory and a fresh vision... Scomadi is heading back to the showroom! Stan paid a visit to see what the future holds.
With a £7.5 million investment, a new factory and a fresh vision… Scomadi is heading back to the showroom! Stan paid a visit to see what the future holds.
If anyone can be credited with changing the face of modern scootering, it’s Frank Sanderson. Together with former business partner Paul Melici, he’s developed the ‘retro-scooter’ concept from its humble origins in a Preston garage to a multinational operation. In a world seemingly filled with retro-looking scooters, it’s worth pausing for a moment to realise that whatever the brand, whichever classic marque they may pay tribute to, the global retro-scooter market is a British innovation.
It’s no secret that the past few years have been difficult for Scomadi and the lack of a meaningful showroom presence was often interpreted as a sign that the brand was dying. Nothing could be further from the truth. “There have been some very difficult times,” said Frank. “Looking at where we are now, I think we’ve come through the process stronger. We’ve found new business partners, forged better relationships with suppliers and moved into a new factory. The company is in a much stronger position than it has been in years.”
New investors, new horizons
Critical to the latest chapter in Scomadi’s history is the involvement of Minor International. While the name will mean little to British scooterists, it is one of Thailand’s largest corporations. Specialising in the promotion, marketing and management of luxury brands, it sees Scomadi as a premium product with the potential to dominate the retro scooter market both in Thailand and abroad.
While Minor industries bring financial, legal and marketing skills, they aren’t manufacturers. Fortunately they have close ties with another British-owned company, CT Automotive. Specialising in supplying components to large manufacturers such as Lamborghini, VW and Audi, CT has brought both a keen eye for detail and the capability to design a state-of-the-art production line. Although the factory is capable of completing a scooter every 20 minutes, CT is concentrating on enhancing build quality. Volume production will follow once any concerns have been addressed. “Their input has been vital,” said Frank. “A modern factory had been on our ‘wish list’ for some time and CT’s expertise has turned that vision into reality.”
Even after Paul’s decision to leave the company and concentrate on his core business, PM Tuning, the management team at Scomadi is now more diverse and specialised than at any time in its history. “One of the most frustrating things to hear is that people think we’ve abandoned them,” said Kaye Sanderson, Frank’s wife, who with more than 25 years in the logistics and marketing sector is more than qualified to hold the post of Scomadi global sales and marketing director. “The truth is that we’re fully committed to both the brand and our customers. Last year Frank and I relocated to Thailand so that we could be more involved. The early years are times I’ll never forget, but the past few months have seen progress that I could never have dreamed of. That’s entirely due to the new company structure and the expertise of both CT and Minor.” These new partners haven’t just brought expertise, they’ve also brought hard cash. The factory opening celebrates a total investment of around £7.5 million.
The promised land?
One benefit of the new structure is that it frees Frank to do what he’s best at, namely product development. Although his lair is still in the process of being furnished, it’s clear that his fertile mind is working on fresh concepts and ways to improve the Scomadi range. If there’s a legitimate criticism of the old company it’s that Scomadi was quick to release information on prototypes but slow to deliver them into production. The new factory brings to an end this practice, with
a move towards the ‘Model Year’ concept that’s common throughout the industry. For 2020 that means the 125 and 180cc engined TT models. Although these are cosmetically similar to their predecessors, both feature frame modifications that improve handling considerably.
Although Britain remains the marque’s spiritual home and a critical market for the company, initial deliveries will be to the Thai market. As Kaye explained this is a decision based on both practical considerations and global factors. “We’re launching a much improved design from a completely new factory,” she said. “Quality control is our number one priority. Prioritising Thailand means that we can resolve any teething problems close to the factory. Secondly, although the 180 engine is now fully Euro 4 compliant, restrictions placed as a result of coronavirus mean that we’re experiencing some problems sourcing enough of the new Bosch ABS unit.”
Since its launch in 2005, Scomadi has been involved in something of a David v Goliath struggle. With its new management team and impressive factory premises it seems that Scomadi is finally equipped to exploit its undoubted potential. Only time will tell whether the dream can finally become a reality.
Words and photographs: Stan
Looking at where we are now I think we’ve come through the process stronger. We’ve found new business partners, forged better relationships with suppliers and moved into a new factory. The company is in a much stronger position than it has been in years.