About
Echelon Sport is Europe's leading manufacturer of synthetic badminton shuttlecocks. Operating from an 11,500 sq ft manufacturing base in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, Echelon Sport is acclaimed around the world for top-quality products, high-technology manufacturing and customer service that is second to none.
In just a few months, Echelon Sport has moved from formation to an established position as principal supplier of shuttlecocks to the world-famous Carlton brand. Already it is the principal supplier of shuttlecocks to Dunlop Slazenger's Carlton brand, but also deals with other marques in Europe and beyond.
Our aim is your service
Echelon Sport proudly maintains the traditional values of British-made products: innovation, quality, consistency, genuine customer service - and, of course top value for money. It is no small challenge to deliver this, in an age of continual cost-cutting and perennial 'outsourcing' to parts of the world where labour is cheap.
However, Echelon Sport has a proven formula for success even in such challenging times. Directors Steve and Ray not only run the company but also have a fundamental understanding of the whole business, from strategy to shopfloor. Echelon Sport embodies a unique blend of ultra-lean operation, strategic partnerships to integrate additional design and manufacturing functions, and significant investment in the world's finest machine tools.
History
When Dunlop Slazenger closed its last UK sporting goods plant in 2001, two former employees - Ray Clark and Steve Cole - wanted to preserve a long tradition of British shuttlecock manufacture. Ray and Steve formed Echelon Sport in 2001, to capitalise on their 50+ years of combined financial and production expertise, while at the same time preserving key logistical elements - and skilled local craftsmen - of the former enterprise. With the help of regional government funding, Ray and Steve opened the doors of Echelon Sport, with the aim of assuming a world leading in position in technical plastics products.
Echelon Sport is small enough provide exceptional flexibility in response to customer demands. But at the same time - as you'd expect of the supplier to Dunlop Slazenger's Carlton brand - Echelon Sport has no fear of world-size orders. The company has made a significant investment in advanced injection-moulding tools by a Swiss toolmaker - as used to make medical and laboratory components requiring the utmost quality, consistency and precision.
Echelon Sport's fully automated assembly line allows production of up to four shuttlecocks every nine seconds. That's potentially well over 7.5million per year. Such a huge capacity is more than enough to supply the needs of even the most demanding client. It also means that Echelon, by virtue of its 'smart working' and high-tech investment, is fully competitive with any Far Eastern manufacturer. But by the same token, Echelon Sport has no problems fulfilling small orders and short runs. Thanks to the inherent flexibility of its manufacturing process, setting up a short production runs of an existing shuttlecock design takes just half an hour. Orders can be delivered in Europe within a week Little wonder it's Europe's Number One supplier of synthetic shuttlecocks.
Production
Ongoing R&D and advanced manufacturing means Echelon Sport's synthetic shuttlecocks are drawing ever closer to the feel and playability of traditional feathered designs, while providing much greater durability, and thus representing a much better value product.
The secret, of course, is in the materials that are used. Echelon's shuttlecock skirts are injection moulded, four at a time, from a special grade of engineering nylon, which displays just the right balance of stiffness and flexibility, while also possessing the unique property of physical 'memory'. This is what enables our shuttlecocks to withstand - and keep withstanding - the immense forces of matchplay.
While of course Echelon offer shuttlecocks featuring real natural cork, we're proud to say that our more synthetic cork is without doubt the best in the world. It's the result of many years spent tweaking our secret formula, resulting in playability and feel that are almost indistinguishable from the real thing.
The two elements are mated together on our automatic production line, before receiving a final visual inspection prior to packing. Naturally, all of our products adhere strictly to the requirements of the World Badminton Federation. And all designs have been extensively tested in use by an international team of badminton players.