Posts by Phil Latz
Vietnam Shut Down Impacts Australian High End Bike Supply
When you think about bicycle and component manufacturing countries in Asia, chances are that your list would start with China, Taiwan and perhaps Japan. But Vietnam has become an increasingly important production hub over recent years. This has been partly as a way for global brands to avoid the ‘anti-dumping’ measures imposed upon Chinese manufacturers…
Why Has Global Shipping Become So Chaotic and Expensive?
If you’re a wholesaler, you know first-hand that shipping prices have gone through the roof since covid hit. If anything, the situation is getting worse, not better. It’s not just the price that’s problematic. There are long delays, fewer ships sailing to Australia and New Zealand and our ports are chocked with empty containers while…
How’s Business? Stock Supply Special! October 2021
Welcome to our monthly chat with bicycle shop owners and managers across Australia and New Zealand where we simply ask ‘How’s Business?’ In keeping with our stock supply theme for this month, our follow up question was, ‘How much bike stock do you have now and how confident are you that you’ll have enough for…
Australia’s Richest Partner Invests in Bike Industry
Think of Australia’s richest people and Gina Rinehart, Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forest and Clive Palmer might come to mind. They are certainly in the mix at numbers one, two and seven on the Australian Financial Review’s 2021 Rich List, with Gina topping the bill at $31 billion. But two relatively young business partners actually combine for…
BikeExchange Reveals Strong Growth for 2020/21
BikeExchange is one of a very small number of Australian bicycle industry related companies that is publicly listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX). This requires them to regularly publish detailed financial statements and reports outlining any significant changes to staffing, operations and any other changes that may materially impact their financial performance. As we…
Have 3D Printed Bicycle Frames Finally Become a Viable Reality?
In global engineering and manufacturing, 3D printing has been big news for quite a while. In the case of bicycle frames, this means rather than joining pre-made tubes together with some form of welding or gluing, the entire frame is built from scratch in one process, by adding many fine layers in quick succession of…
Giant Announces Huge Growth and New Factory in Vietnam
Despite supply constraints, container shortages and unfavourable exchange rates, Taiwan’s leading bicycle producer, Giant Group, reported strong sales results for the first half of 2021. Giant also demonstrated their commitment to further growth in the long term by announcing the construction of a new automated e-bike factory in Vietnam. Giant Group made total consolidated sales…
Stranded Aussie Makes It Back from Taiwan
You may have seen this interview we ran in July with Australian bicycle engineering and manufacturing expert Aldo Contarino. Aldo, who lives in Perth where he runs a workshop and consultancy called Quantum Bicycles, was stranded in Taiwan through their biggest covid wave due to the extreme shortage of flights back to Australia. He was…
Scott Green Joins The Latz Report
I’m thrilled to announce that Scott Green has joined The Latz Report in the role of Journalist / Editor. Scott has been a journalist, editor and communications professional for three decades, as well as a dedicated cyclist since his first bicycle brought him freedom as a child. He has raced as an elite triathlete for…
10 Tips to Help Your Store Through Lockdown
As we compile this article during the second half of August 2021, more bicycle shops in more states and territories face tougher restrictions than at any time since the start of Covid restrictions in Australia 18 months ago. Here is a brief summary, focusing only on the restrictions specifically related to the bicycle industry. In…