By,schulz, known as an established and innovative German component manufacturer, has strong connections to Taiwan and operates an office in Taichung. The Show Daily took a look behind the scenes.
When a European firm operates an office in Taichung, it clearly indicates how important the Taiwanese market is for the company. This is exactly the case with the German component specialist by,schulz. Four years ago, the company invested in a branch in Taichung, just a few minutes’ walk from the Splendor Hotel. “We have had a close relationship with Taiwan for many years. In addition to the production facilities where our products are manufactured, most of our OEM partners are based here, so it made sense for us to locate a part of our team as close as possible,” says Stefan Kalweit, Head of Marketing & Design at the Saarbrücken-based company.
Founded in 1996, by,schulz enjoyed immediate success in the bicycle industry, particularly with the Speedlifter handlebar adjustment system, which allows handlebar height to be quickly adjusted by hand, and the G.2 parallelogram-suspension seatpost. Today, under the leadership of founder Markus Schulz and CEO Robert Koch, the company offers a wide range of bicycle components and accessories, from handlebars and pedals to seatposts and stems to mounting accessories for lights. “We have always prioritized cooperation with both aftermarket and original equipment customers. The OEM business is particularly important, accounting for around 60 percent of our turnover, while the aftermarket accounts for the 40 percent,” said Julian Schikofsky, Management Assistant for by,schulz.
The by,schulz site in Saarbrücken, which currently has 25 employees, serves as the company’s headquarters. However, the office in Taichung, where manufacturing engineers and supply chain managers work, has quickly developed into the second central hub for international business. “It is the main point of contact for suppliers, customers and potential cooperation partners,” Kalweit said. by,schulz’ production, which also takes place in Taiwan due to the proximity to customers, is coordinated from the office in Taichung in many cases, which demonstrates the close ties between the German component specialist and Taiwan. “If we were still producing in Europe, we would have to ship our components to our partners overseas or fly them in. That would be expensive, especially unsustainable and would also unnecessarily delay the supply chain. That’s another good reason for us to have our own space in Taichung,” Kalweit explains.
Therefore, the by,schulz team has a short journey to Taichung Bike Week which is, in a way, a home game for the German manufacturer. Last year, they used the event primarily to present their OEM products for manufacturers, but also to consolidate joint projects with customers and manufacturers in personal meetings. New products were also on display, such as the slim M.1 View pedal and the Speedlifter Twist Pro 2, the latest generation of tool-free handlebar height adjustment with twist function, which allows the handlebars to be rotated 90 degrees and includes an integrated angle-adjustable stem. “Of course, we can also offer individual solutions for our partners. Our proximity to Taichung is not only the basis for this but also a great advantage,” said Kalweit.