A little bit of Taiwan in Mid-Wales

In a story first posted to this website on 8th February we revealed that A&J Enterprises (Taiwan) was to set up a UK manufacturing plant.

The address for this, we have now been told, is:

A&J Europe Bicycle Manufacturing Ltd

Unit G

Mochdre enterprise park

Newtown

Powys SY16 4LE

Isn’t that the same industrial estate where British Eagle used to be based? Er, yes.

The MD of A&J Europe Bicycle Manufacturing Ltd is Jon Edwards, formerly of Moore Large.

The original story follows:

Coals to Newcastle as A&J Enterprises (Taiwan) sets up in UK

Moore Larges main Taiwanese supplier is to open a UK bike assembly plant, up and running by May

According to a Moore Large press release, the Derby-based company is to double the amount of British built bikes it will be able to sell by being the only UK customer of A&J Enterprise (Taiwan), its main Far Eastern supplier in Taiwan, which is to set up a UK assembly plant.

Such a move is not unexpected because dumping duties imposed on bikes of Far Eastern origin make it more economic for overseas companies to assemble in the European Union, bypassing punitive, protectionist duties.

Of course, Giant has been successfully operating this model for many years and the news from MooreLarge will be the first of many similar stories.

At their Derby factory in 1999, Moore Large assembled 50 000 dual suspension bikes.

The tremendous success of Barracuda has caused us to look at expanding the assembly of cycles, but space restrictions and low unemployment in our area makes this difficult, said John Moore.

As well as their own production, Moore Large will be supplied by A&J Europe Bicycle Manufacturing Ltd, a UK registered company which is a wholly owned subsidiary of A&J Enterprise (Taiwan).

The MD for the new operation is Jon Edwards, currently Marketing Director for Moore Large.

He starts on 1st March. A factory site has yet to be chosen although an announcement is expected within the next 10 days.

A&J Europe Bicycle Manufacturing Ltd will supply Moore Large with their assembled bikes in 2000 and Edwards will be seeking one Moore Large type company in most EU countries by 2001.

Gary Mather, made a full Moore Large board member in November last year, and currently in charge off mail order sales, becomes the new Moore Large Sales Director.