MADE FOR THIS: INSIDE OZONE'S FACTORY - VIDEO

Maggio 22, 2023 / Kitesurf Racing Snowkites Wingsurf

Join Ruben Lenten on an exclusive behind the scenes tour of Ozone’s own factory in Vietnam.

Parapex is Ozone’s exclusive factory, where all of the foil kites, tube kites, wings, twin-tips, hydrofoils, foil boards, paragliders, paramotor wings, speed wings and accessories are made, as well as the ever impressive wingsuits, designed by Squirrel.

OZONE PASSIONS

David Pilkington, Mike Cavanagh, Rob Whittall

Known as Parapex, the factory was originally established by David Pilkington and his colleagues in 2000 to produce Ozone’s paragliders after they’d grown frustrated by capacity limitations in China.

Ozone started as a group of pilots with an idea: to build wings that just do everything better. They searched for more safety alongside better handling, tighter turning and faster glide speeds as well as more comfort in flight.

Ozone’s research and development teams work in constant and close co-operation with their colleagues in the factory’s prototyping departments. Developing the production methods that will allow new and innovative designs to be realised is a true collaboration.

The gear that’s rolled out of Parapex since 2000 has helped pilots and riders set records, win world titles, reach new heights, venture further into the unknown and allows all of us to enjoy truly sensational experiences in nature.

SET-UP

After starting with only 20 sewing machinists in a single room, almost 25 years later the operation has grown to employ 1000 full-time workers across nine factory units, an area equivalent in size to almost two football pitches.

Intricate hand crafted techniques are combined with the latest technology. David Pilkington is still involved, but this carefully coordinated operation is guided with precision, day-to-day, by factory manager, Khanh Nguyen.

In the beginning, new starters go through a three month training programme before being placed in production groups. It can then take more than a year to become skilled enough for some of the most difficult sewing tasks.

PROCESSES

Literally all items and every single inch of material gets very carefully checked over for any imperfections on arrival. Wherever possible raw materials are sourced from right here in Vietnam…

Despite all the integrated tech, sewing is still by far the most key skill here and there are 888 sewing machines across all nine factories, with more installations on the way. Progressing as a skilled sewer is just one example of how workers are regularly offered progressional pathways to advance through the factory.

Khanh himself is a great example, having started his career as a helper on the factory floor before studying and progressing to eventually become the factory manager.

UNIQUE FACTORY OWNERSHIP

Owning the whole production process allows for total flexibility and freedom. Operating without the constraint of rigid manufacturing limits, Ozone produce many custom kites for industry partners and anyone who wants to order their own design, while the board factory also takes custom orders from both the public and pros.

Nothing is mass produced. You won’t find large, wasteful warehouses of pre-made Ozone products anywhere in the world that need to be pushed to market. Instead, everything is made to order with the aim of delivering to shops and distributors 15 to 30 days from the moment of purchase on Ozone’s unique order system, and that includes all the custom options too.

The latest technology is married with traditional methods throughout a product’s journey as it comes together in the factory, and it’s not about the robots taking over the work, as the workforce continues to expand year on year.

Workplace comfort is a priority. As well as each factory being air conditioned, there are examples of innovations and custom developments, such as chimneys that extract the tiny plumes of smoke each time a thread is sealed. Factory workers also receive good salaries and bonuses as well as healthcare packages, insurance and throughout all factory units everyone gets a free cooked lunch that they all sit down and enjoy together.

HERITAGE

Ozone has a super rich history in paragliding, with its founders coming from a deep involvement in the sport back in the early 1980s. Ozone itself was founded in 1998 and has since been instrumental in contributing to paragliding’s development, placing a strong emphasis on safety and reliable equipment to ensure the future of the sport… and its pilots..

Essentially, these men and women know how to create gear that allows you to send it with confidence!

BORN LIGHT: GENETICALLY STRONG

Producing innovative products exclusively in our own factory in Vietnam since 2000, at Ozone we have always believed in designing lightness and strength into our paragliders, kites and now wings, to be as efficient in flight as possible.

Naturally, the lighter the wing is, the better it will fly. The stronger it is, the longer its performance will last.

We avoid adding surplus features or unnecessary cosmetic items to our designs and use top of the line materials put through a rigorous testing programme.

If you compare the weights of any Ozone kite or wing against the most dedicated light weight specific products produced by our competitors, you’ll see that all our products are just born light. Even on our entry level designs there’s no compromise on the handling benefits that airborne products undoubtedly have through being lighter.

Combined with cutting edge manufacturing and highly skilled craftspeople our designs are; Born Light, Genetically Strong.

Technical, performant, durable and efficient – the lightness and strength is built in.

Images:

Alvaro Rodriguez
Wareck Arnaud
Matias Nombarasco
Samuel Cardenas
Max Haim
Dan Dupuis
Ricardo Pinto

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