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Beachbeats Surfboards

In: Business and Management

Submitted By willis
Words 1047
Pages 5
Beachbeat Surfboards is a surfboard manufacturer and retailer located in the United Kingdom. They specialize in high quality customizable surfboards. Within its 26 years of service Beachbeat has produced and sold thousands of surfboards throughout the world, becoming one of Europe’s premier board producing factories. Originally started by a board shaper named Chops Lascelles, Beachbeat has become a major player in the surfboard industry. His mission was to bring the highest possible quality surfboards to surfers around the world. This could be achieved through his desire to make many types of quality boards so that people could ride better. He wanted to create boards that “follow function, not fashion”. The company has grown from one man to nine people working many hours to produce top quality surfboards. The production process runs through 8 stages with each person specializing in an area to maximize efficiency and quality. The assembly line process can produce a custom board in around a week. With shipping times added in a board can go from being a customer design to breaking waves in 3 weeks. This time length allows the company to maintain its high levels of quality and precision work, without forcing the customer to wait long amounts of time to ride their new board. The first step in any board shops production is shaping. The board is cut into the general “surfboard” shape and then sanded and cut down to its final shape. The shape can take on many different forms, with thinner more pointed fronts to jagged or v cut tails. The shaping ultimately determines the boards use, speed and maneuverability. At Beachbeat all the shaping is done by the founder Chops. Each board is also individually numbered and signed at this stage for record keeping purposes. After being shaped all Beachbeat boards are painted. The designs are either selected specifically by the customer or left up to the designing talents of Jason, the company’s sprayer. Each board is painted to give it a unique look. This, along with shape choice, allows for the customers to completely customize their surf board. This builds a brand loyalty and excitement by handing the design options to the individual consumer. Following the painting and shaping a board must be “glassed”. This is a process in which a resin of some kind (Beachbeats prefers to use a polyester resin on most of their boards) is applied to a glass layer on the board. This is also the point where Beachbeat puts its mark on the board. A logo is placed on the glass sheet under resin to advertise for the company long after the board leaves the shop. The lamination process is the most time consuming and possibly the most important as it strengthens the surfboard and accounts for most of the finish weight. Too much resign will create a heavy board with less control while too little will result in a weak board prone to cracks and breaks. This is also the point in the production where the leash pins are added. By adding at this step Beachbeat insures that the pins are set firmly into the board. Once the board laminate has been cured leash plugs and the fin box or fin pins are put on the board. Beachbeat applies a process it calls Fin Solutions to attach and place its fin plugs. This innovative process has reduced the companies fin repairs by 98%, making it a more durable and cost effective procedure. The process also allows for removable fins, which leads to easier fin repair and more extensive custom fin options. The fin plug size is universal enough that customers can purchase non-Beachbeat fins for their board if they chose to while still maintaining the strength and durability the Fin Solutions process offers. After being equipped with leash plugs and a fin box the surfboard is sent to the company’s sander. The sander’s job is to apply a sanding resign and then remove any excess resin to bring the board back to the original shape produced by the shaping process. The process gets the board ready for the final finishing and buffing before it can be sent out. The finishing process again sands the surfboard, this time for the shine desired by the customer. The board is buffed to its final shine and then whipped down clean. Although a short step in the entire process, it insures the board’s final look matches the quality and craftsmanship put into the board in the earlier stages. Once finished the board is ready to be inspected. The inspection process for all boards coming out of Boardbeats is handled by an employee named Wiggy. Wiggy takes every board and checks the finish, fins and leash pin for and potential problems. When satisfied with the board he sends it off to the customer, or signs off on its induction into the shop. Because each step in the process is run by a single person, the capacity for production is limited to the capacity of the process members. This, however, does not harm the company in any way. They are able to put out hundreds of boards a year. Their inventory is all held on display in a shop located in St. Agnes, Cornwall. Along with surfboards, Beachbeats offers a wide variety of other items at its shop and online. They have made themselves a one stop shopping center for all things related to surfing. From wet suits and other water clothing needs to shore apparel and shoes they have it all. They also sport a collection of videos and books related to surfing for those who want to pick up some pointers on improving their surfing techniques. By diversifying into all parts of the surfboard market they maintain profitability and will be able to sustain the company for many years. Overall, Beachbeats is a well run company dedicated to quality surf products. The company atmosphere felt through the website is a laid back “chill” one. By personalizing their employees and making the reader feel at home they create a relationship with their customers that helps bolster their success. This, along with their high quality streamlined process, has built them into the surfboard producing industry leading brand they are today.

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