Economy Minister for Wales Vaughan Gething visited a Machynlleth bike manufacturer to hear about their success.
On August 17, Mr Gething visited Atherton Bikes manufacturing facility in Machynlleth to see the main process involved in building their high spec bikes.
Atherton Bikes was established in 2019, as a collaboration between the Athertons, a highly awarded family of mountain bikers, and a team of engineers from the forefront of composites technology.
The company set up a manufacturing plant in Machynlleth earlier this year, following two years of crowdfunding, backing by Dragons Den star Peter Linney and Development Bank of Wales’ angel network, Angels Invest Wales.
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During his visit, the Economy Minister said: “It’s been fantastic to see the growth and success of this company in such a short space of time.
“Their passion for what they do has certainly played a huge role in their achievements, and their cutting-edge technology is bringing something new to the mountain bike industry.
“I’m delighted that the Welsh Government has been able to support the development of the business and that they’ve been awarded a SMART Cymru R&D grant for the development of a new bike concept.
“I wish the team well for the future.”
Atherton Bikes is World Championship-winning manufacturer whose mountain bikes are used in international tournaments, with three World Championships won by Atherton.
During his visit, the Economy Minster also had the opportunity to see the team’s newest product, the AM.130 trail bike, set to launch next month.
Mr Gething was given a tour of how Atherton Bike’s own in-house additive manufacturing process, more commonly known as 3D printing, which allows the company to develop more unique and durable components for its bikes.
Dan Brown CEO of Atherton Bikes said “When we started our company it was important to us to do things our own way, and one of the key elements of our vision has been to re-shore manufacturing with all the sustainability and quality control benefits that local production brings.
“We are very grateful for the support of the Welsh Government and proud to be based in Machynlleth, an area with a strong mountain-bike heritage.”
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