Skylaunch eyes premier position in =
market, says=20
Maisha Frost
CONDITIONS on the ground have never =
been better=20
for a firm making gliding equipment. Sales have soared in =
the last=20
year for Skylaunch, a small manufacturer making high-speed =
winches.=20
These are car-towed machines with cables that pull gliders =
to gain=20
the momentum needed to get airborne.
What began as a =
supplier to a niche sport in 1998 has taken off in =
unexpected ways,=20
says entrepreneur Adam Greaves, 55, who has seen growth =
triple,=20
propelling his company towards a =A31.3 million turnover =
this year.=20
His winches have become most wanted because of =
flying club=20
concerns about increasing operating costs and stricter =
environmental=20
controls, along with the military realising their =
suitability for=20
testing aviation equipment.
"It used to be small =
aircraft=20
that took up gliders but fuel costs and aviation insurance =
have=20
pushed up the price of hire, " explains Greaves. "It costs =
=A350 and=20
upwards for a plane compared with just =A38 for a winch =
pull."=20
This has put pressure on flying groups to find =
alternatives=20
to planes to cut carbon emissions and silence any complaints =
about=20
noise from those living nearby.
"But now the armed =
forces=20
are using winches too, " he adds. "They are cost effective =
if you=20
need to compare performances and speeds of equipment either =
on the=20
ground or in the air. Our winches are used to test the =
latest=20
generation of pilotless aircraft unmanned aerial vehicle =
such as=20
drones."
Recently Skylaunch helped improve the =
accuracy of=20
Chinook helicopters' firepower in poor visibility conditions =
in=20
Afghanistan. "When we were told we had helped to save =
pilots' lives=20
it was a great moment, " says Greaves. Previous wars have =
also=20
played a part in Skylaunch's commercial development.
A major market for the company is =
Germany,=20
where gliding is now hugely popular having developed after =
other=20
European countries banned Germans from using powered =
aircraft for a=20
while after the First World War.
At least 80 per =
cent of its=20
output is exported, bolstered by a thriving online =
components trade,=20
to schools in France, the Netherlands, Scotland, Poland and =
Iran.=20
The company's bespoke steel winches, the largest of =
which=20
are 675 horsepower and can tow 1.6 tonnes up to 160mph, cost =
from=20
=A36,000 to =A3240,000.
Lifetime support is an =
important part of=20
the package as they can last 20 years.
The work is =
done by a=20
nine-strong team in a factory at Wem, near Shrewsbury, =
Shropshire,=20
or outsourced to various fabricators nearby.
Greaves =
says=20
the firm now generates =A3250,000 of this work, boosting the =
local=20
economy. A businessman who'd made and lost a million in =
other=20
ventures, he bought the winch side of the business from =
another=20
firm. Since then he and his brother, who owns a part =
share, have=20
continually reinvested, so far he reckons about =A3100,000. =
He says=20
their focus is on improving quality and productivity. =
"We've=20
a great design engineer Mike Groves and with him we've =
streamlined=20
it to one with various levels of comfort or performance. =
That=20
simplified usage and production. We're renowned for it, the =
RAF=20
calls our winches 'idiot-proof'.
"Reliability is =
vital as=20
lives are at stake when our products are used."
Past =
experience taught Greaves to focus on detail and potential =
which led=20
to Skylaunch's latest innovation, a greener, battery-powered =
winch.=20
That level of product development needed external =
help, so=20
Greaves approached the West Midlands arm of the =
Manufacturing=20
Advisory Service (MAS) which offers Government-backed =
support for=20
small and medium-size firms. There he got "fantastic =
technical=20
guidance" and =A310,000 of funding to prototype Electric =
Sky.=20
With that now ready for exhibition at the main trade =
show in=20
Germany next year and advance order inquiries coming in, =
Greaves=20
says this will seal Skylaunch's premier position in the =
industry.=20
"We can only keep that through innovation, " he =
explains,=20
"Everyone is after products with a low carbon footprint. =
Adding this=20
to our range means we can produce all power variants: =
electric,=20
petrol, diesel and propane.
"Our MAS mentor, Rodger =
Cooper,=20
totally understood the company objectives and he had some =
superb=20
business connections. He found the electronic design =
engineer we=20
needed.
"Before this our only real competitor was in =
Europe,=20
that closed this year. It was almost as if the industry had =
been=20
such a minor player for so long, no one gave its potential a =
second=20
glance until we came along.
"Persuading clients into =
capital=20
investments and juggling euro rates has been tough but when =
I see=20
our turnover I know it was worth it.
"Our main worry =
now is=20
how to manage growth."
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