Royal-endorsed bike firm gears up for record demand
A KIDS’ bike company that makes its products in Wales is gearing up production to meet record global demand.
Frog Bikes, which manufactures its kids’ bikes from its site at Mamhilad Park Estate, Pontypool, was given a royal endorsement last week by the youngest son of Prince William.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge issued a photograph of Prince Louis on a Frog bike to mark his third birthday.
Frog Bikes was first established in 2013 by husband and wife team Jerry and Shelley Lawson after a fruitless bike hunt for their own two children inspired them to leave their corporate careers and begin creating quality, lightweight and affordable kids’ bikes.
The company now sells to more than 1,800 retailers, and with cycling having increased by as much as 200% in the UK alone during the last year, turnover has reached £12m. Production of the sought-after bikes is scheduled to increase from 250 a day to 400 a day by mid-2021 and the workforce is expected to grow from 50 to 60.
Support from the Welsh Government and Torfaen Council encouraged the Lawsons to open their 120,000 sq ft factory in 2016 at Mamhilad, the 150-acre business park owned by property developers Johnsey Estates. The Frog Bikes operation was named Best UK factory in 2018 and Best factory in Wales in 2017 and the company won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2018.
Director Shelley Lawson said: “Ultimately, we want to foster a generation of healthy, active and happy children with positive, lifelong habits. To achieve this goal, we partner with like-minded organisations, across all sectors, to collectively make a change and get more kids on bikes.
“Our bikes are not scaled-down adult bikes, as children are not miniature adults. At Frog, we put a lot of research into the needs of young riders and design our bikes specifically for the anatomy of children. Everything from the bike geometry to the quality componentry has been expertly designed and selected to make a child’s journey as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.
“Features such as adjustable brakes and our handlebar stem add-on provide room for growth, whilst the shorter cranks, scaled-down handlebars and easy-to-reach brake levers assist comfort so children can travel further and faster.
“We work with people who share our passion for bikes and getting kids active, from local schools and governments to holiday resorts and corporate organisations.
“The loyalty of our skilled staff coupled with our award-winning premises and the ongoing support of Johnsey Estates means that we have been able to grow the business without the need to relocate.
“The availability of skilled people, great transport links and secure space at Mamhilad has proved to be a winning combination.”
Earlier this month Jerry Lawson said Brexit cost him around £250,000 extra in just the first two months of this year and that he can’t see any positives from Britain’s exit from the EU.
“I couldn’t say there was anything positive,” he said.
“There’s extra paperwork, and there’s extra costs. And there’s a whole lot of unknowns.”