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Since acquiring the business in 2002 , Owner and CEO Mark John has grown the company from humble beginnings with a team of 30 in Bristol to the largest inflatables manufacturer in Europe with bases in three territories and customers around the globe . Initially focusing on leisure inflatables , in 2006 the business bought a company in Romania to bring the manufacturing arm of the operation in-house . “ Since that time the team has grown to nearly 400 people ,” Mark explains . “ It has been a process of continual expansion , where we went from 7000 square feet to over 140,000 square feet .” As the operation has expanded , so too has the range of products . “ As well as bouncy castles and pool and leisure inflatables the business now boasts a catalogue that includes tents for the medical , humanitarian and defense sectors , components for specialist manufacturing , as well as Airparx products which include trampoline parks and climbing walls .”
The Romanian acquisition has helped Airquee continue to grow through a period which has seen significant disruptions to global supply chains . Mark outlines how the business mitigated these issues . “ We keep our stock levels of raw materials at the maximum possible , which meant a significant initial investment to build the stockpile .” Mark even went as far as to sacrifice his salary in order to seize the opportunities that this presented . Having this buffer has empowered the company to overcome challenges in global supply chains emerging from the pandemic as well as global conflicts such as in Ukraine and Yemen .
It takes efforts such as this , combined with exceptional products , great distribution and customer care , to become a market leader . Outlining how the integration of key technologies has helped Airquee continue to develop innovative products Mark goes on : “ We were the first company in the world to use digitally printed bouncy castles and inflatables . This also led to the development of specialist protective coatings .
“ We have since purchased a specialized ultra-violet printer to produce a broader range of unique designs . We also have eight Swiss cutting machines , which I was surprised to learn were the same machines used by the Jordan F1 team . These machines are highly specialized and represent a significant investment for the company . We are also looking into CNC sewing machines which would bring further efficiencies to the manufacturing processes .
We have even been able to utilize some of the materials that were previously wasted to develop new products like inflatable ballast
“ Expanding and upgrading these facilities has opened all kinds of doors for us ,” Mark explains , “ for example , even in technological marketplaces we are now able to supply highly specialized components .”
Always keeping ahead of developing trends as opportunities emerge , Mark identifies renewables as a sector of significant growth in the coming years . “ Energy storage could become crucial for our industry generally and this business specifically . Additionally , staying on top of new materials as they emerge will ensure we stay ahead of the market and our competitors .”
Adopting sustainable practices has also seen a boost to margins and efficiency . “ Cutting templates ”, Mark continues , “ have traditionally been a large source of wastage in the industry . Thanks to the level of automation present in the technology in which we have invested , we have managed to save colossal amounts of waste . We have even been able to utilize some of the materials that were previously wasted to develop new products like inflatable ballast .”
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