ARCHIVED: Small Business and Red Tape Reduction
British Columbia is known for its lush forests, vast coasts and incredible winding roads, but hiding amongst the foliage and asphalt are multitudes of mountain biking trails and world-class road cycling routes.
As an active outdoor enthusiast his whole life, and a resident of Squamish for the last 20 years, Tyler Jordan (TJ as he likes to be called) knew through experience that B.C. provided one of the best places in the world to ride bikes.
That’s why, three years ago TJ and two others started 7mesh Inc., a company that makes technical apparel for road and mountain cyclers. Even though their company has been around for a few years, they’ve been selling their products for only the last 18 months. TJ says that they “want to build a reputable brand, but a brand that also wants to have fun”. This vision led the small business of seven employees to spend their first 18 months focusing on research and development to make the best shorts, jerseys and jackets they could, not rushing their products to market too quickly.
“Growing 7mesh in B.C. was the right choice. We have everything we need to start a business right at our fingertips, including B.C.’s policies and programs that help small businesses. It’s a great place to have a company headquarters because so many cultures and skill sets come together here, and because so many markets are easily accessed,” said Tyler Jordan, CEO of 7mesh. “The amazing trails and roads don’t hurt either, especially when you’re a cycling brand!”
When they did eventually enter the market, 7mesh had a small, but straightforward product line of 12 garments, small when compared to other outdoor companies product ranges of the hundreds. In the summer of 2016, the number of pieces jumped to 40 – with the line expanding to include more discipline-specific pieces.
All of 7mesh’s products are designed and tested in B.C. at their Squamish headquarters. The office is outfitted with the latest equipment to create technical apparel, allowing 7mesh to be agile when developing their products. They can send out a pair of shorts for testing, get back notes from the tester, and make a brand-new pair with the revisions much faster than other companies.
(flickr.com) This process differs from the traditional formula for a technical apparel company; typically a company designs a product on paper and then sends it overseas to their manufacturing facility. With the typical process, making any changes to the fit of the garment can take weeks before seeing the results. Having this equipment and expertise in-house isn’t just about quick-turnaround on testing though, 7mesh are always sourcing new materials, technologies and processes to craft apparel that makes its product line stand out from the crowd.
“From the Sea to Sky, from mountainous terrain to interior trails, British Columbia is a perfect destination for all kinds of cycling adventures and clearly an inspiration for 7mesh,” said Jordan Sturdy, MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky. “They are making an impact in the competitive cycling apparel industry with their dedication to creating the very best product, and are a prime example of how small businesses are creating jobs and driving innovation right here in B.C. ”
British Columbia’s robust cycling sector made TJ’s choice to build his business here an easy one. For example, the City of Victoria alone has four times as many local bike shops per capita than the Canadian average, and over 150,000 cycle-tourists visit those bike shops every year according to the CRD’s 2015 Bikenomics report. Statistics Canada has reported that in 2014, the most recently reported year, British Columbia had over 24% of all specialty cycling stores in Canada.
When 7mesh started selling its apparel, it relied on the extensive network of local bike shops throughout B.C. to carry its products right from launch. Taken together with B.C.’s strong economy, these factors meant 7mesh would have access to a strong customer base, a variety of suppliers, and investors to help them grow their business.
(flickr.com) People are taking notice. 7mesh has been growing their distribution and availability over the last 18 months and products are now available in over 12 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Japan and Sweden. 7mesh has warehouses throughout North America to aid in shipping the products globally, including one warehouse in Vancouver. Recently, the team attended both Eurobike and Interbike, the two biggest cycling industry tradeshows, and caught the attention of the thousands of visitors that went through the booth.
7mesh’s TJ and the rest of the team may all be based in the District of Squamish, but they are making their presence felt around the globe, and with apparel that is changing the way the industry and cyclists think of a cycling garment, 7mesh is an excellent example of a small business that is seeing growth and success, thanks to the opportunities that exist for small businesses in B.C.
Learn More:
About 7mesh inc.: http://www.7meshinc.com/
About support for small business in B.C.: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/business/small-business
