RAMP moving production to Park City

I've seen a few coming back.  Interesting, eh? 

 

huh, I thought somebody told me recently that they manufacture their skis in Oregon.  If that's true, then they're not 'moving back' per se.

The factory will include staff offices, warehousing, manufacturing and a store area where visitor's can buy directly using kiosk stations to pay.

 

Kilchenstein plans on implementing a new technique in the manufacturing process. Rather than using extreme pressure and heat to press skis or snowboards into one piece, he plans on using a process that exerts a vacuum of intense pressures, a process he believes will be more efficient.

"I think that there could be a real reemergence of manufacturing in the U.S.," he said, "but what that means is you have to have new process. You have to be more efficient. You can't come here doing the same old thing."

 

Interesting.  First, he figured out how to design and build good skis in every category through extensive testing before bringing out the models.  Now he is modifying his"buy direct" business model to encourage locals and visitors (and a lot of visitors go to Park City every year) to visit the manufacturing facility and see the skis being made.  I imagine he will still offer free demos to those who stop by.  Moving a factory isn't cheap.  Ramp obviously has some capital behind the operation. The former Honda dealership is a relatively large facility, so it make me wonder if Kilchenstein will press skis for other domestic companies?
 

It is good to have the factory close to the users. Better feedback response. Plus with possible automation and technology, wage and benefit differentials may not make local production uncompetitive. This could be a very good thing.

Interesting take on "new" technology. Vacuum pressure is a mature technology. It is widely used in aircraft parts - where weight is critical (are his skis light?!!). The maximum vacuum pressure is 14.7psi - regardless of the intensity. A bit more pressure than my backyard waterski mold (but once I ran it at 25psi) but still quite a bit less than a compression molding press. Sounds like bs marketing hype. Of course, how the skis perform is what really counts regardless of build processes or marketing.

You know how to make a small fortune in skis? Start with a large one!

Best wishes to this enterprise.

Eric

 

 

They didn't "make" anything. An anonymous Asian OEM factory built the ski's.

 

It's amusing that you think it's some difficult task to figure out how to ship off a design to be built in some factory overseas, even funnier that you are somehow impressed that they are going to use an inferior ski pressing technology to build their stuff. If vaccum pressing was better then everyone would be doing it.

 

I have nothing against RAMP. In fact they aren't a brand that would even be on my radar enough for me to have something against them. But I can't sit here and read a bunch of bull about how vacuum pressing is a superior method, and that RAMP is doing something special. There are plenty of proven companies that have been building in the states since their inception.

The vacuum bag is not new, and RAMP does not claim to have invented it.  What they have done is changed the way how skis are made using a vac bag.  As of now they can't release exactly how since they are still getting the patent for it.  Other companies don't use the vacuum bag because it's more labor intensive and they don't have the same method developed yet.  I know it sounds a bit leafy but when the patent is done it wouldn't surprise me if other start using it too.

 The skis are made out of bamboo and do feel relatively light but nothing ridiculous.  Why don't other manufactures make skis out of bamboo?  It is much more expensive than a standard popular core.

They will still be out at lots of mountains offering demo days out in Utah/Colorado and the North East as well as the factory.  Also doubt they will be producing any other companies skis.  They have been flooded with orders and as of right now are trying to produce as much of their own product as possible just to keep up.

As for the new skis, they rip!  I skied on prototypes and the final versions this summer.  I'll be skiing on the Woodpecker this year, its the perfect do everything east coast ski.

 

Matt

They do:

 

https://www.dpsskis.com/home

http://www.on3pskis.com/

http://libertyskis.com/

 

Just to name a few.

Good point.  I was too broad with that statement.  I did know that Liberty used bamboo cores but not about on3p or dps, thanks for that.  The difference is that Ramp is running the core to the sidewall.  It's really interesting to see the new ideas and innovation coming from Ramp and many other companies.  It's also nice to see production in the U.S.  On3p as well as Ramp both are able to test skis, see what works and then go back to the factory to build another ski.