When the manufacturer of a Tour de France-winning bike asks if you’d be interested in a conversation, it’s not difficult to say ‘yes’.
When the very same Taiwanese business has recently listed on “the world’s second-largest stock exchange in terms of market capitalisation” – the Nasdaq – you make plans and make it happen ASAP.
Here we speak with J-Star Chairman and CEO Jonathan Chiang, exploring the origin and evolution of the business as well as discussing future ambitions and goals.
Jonathan, thank you for taking the time to speak with BikeBiz. I know that Sam Van at SRO Partners was keen for this to happen following your recent listing on the Nasdaq.
Can you share the J-Star story with us?
Certainly. We are a business with 50 years of OEM experience. In the current form, as J-Star Holding, we started in 2016 as a trading company for carbon fibre products. Since then, we have devoted ourselves to the research, development, and manufacturing of carbon fibre materials and products. We also develop and formulate resins for composite products.
Our R&D laboratories for resin and raw material research can customise and invent formulations to produce carbon fibre products that meet our clients and their consumers’ needs.
In addition to the carbon fibre materials research and development, we have gone on to integrate the entire end-to-end process of producing raw materials to manufacture retail-ready products, by acquiring factories to manufacture (*YMA Corp, 53 years in operation) to bicycle assembly (France, Loire).
From our R&D lab in Taiwan to factories in China for material and product production to assembly factories in Europe to produce retail-ready carbon fibre bicycles, we are the true end-to-end carbon fibre experts.
The bit that grabs everyone’s attention is being able to say that you manufacture for brands that have won stages of the Tour de France, as well as taken home multiple yellow jerseys. Manufacturing the bike which wins the Tour de France is something we are understandably proud of.
As an OEM partner, you work with global brands, making products that are highly recognisable and universally respected.
Yes, and our business doesn’t stop there. We are designers, engineers and manufacturers. We are innovators. We can partner with businesses to develop and deliver market-leading products.
As we step out into the public view – listing as a public company – we are actively looking to work more closely with established Western brands.
That partnership might now also come in the form of investment, which is something we are keen to explore. Having J-Star as a financial partner who is also an industry expert in manufacturing could be something which has significant appeal to Western brands for a variety of reasons.
These are big strides you’re taking, Jonathan. Impressive to hear. All entirely in keeping with taking J-Star public.
Yes. We feel the time is right. We are extremely well known in the OEM sector – the B2B element of the industry – and now see the time being right to make our profile, and the capability we have, much more visible.
To be clear, we are not looking to compete with established brands. We are looking to work with them, to support them, to invest in them. Partnering is our goal.
Many of our Western clients have become long-term partners and friends. We have earned respect and trust. These are qualities which will shape our future and the future of those we partner and work with.
With the recent Nasdaq listing, we are now in a position where, financially, we are able to take on new opportunities, form new partnerships, and build new relationships.
Here, I’d highlight three key points:
- Previously, we would not have been able to offer capital in support of business growth. Now we can help our partners in ways that make their business more adaptable to market changes and more secure from a financial perspective.
- We have already established one such new relationship, where the structure of the partnership means we share the profits. This works for both the partner and for us.
- I’d also point out that production volumes and inventory management are areas where our partners benefit from our unique working relationships.
