Home visit: Puky is almost synonymous with high quality children's bikes, but who knows more about the traditional company? Velomotion was there and got to know many interesting aspects of the company during a home visit.
A bicycle or vehicle brand that everyone knows? When it comes to children's bikes, the matter is clear: only Puky can be meant. The traditional company from Wülfrath, east of Düsseldorf in the Bergisches Land, has been equipping children with bicycles, scooters and other means of transport for decades - and since the company is as old as Germany itself, in some families the third generation is probably already on the road with Puky . Don't think the company is resting on those laurels, however. A lot has happened at Puky, especially in the last few years, and in many ways the specialist for child mobility reflects the developments that are shaping the entire bicycle industry. And so Puky's past is just as interesting as the company's future promises to be.
After the end of the war, the NSU production facilities in Neckarsulm were destroyed; Since steel can be bought again very early in the Ruhr area, the manufacturer produces bicycles in Düsseldorf until the factory in Baden-Württemberg is rebuilt. In the now unused factory on the Rhine with pipe processing and paint shop, the former NSU representative Hermann Schlessmann and the steel merchant Heinz Cake Becker build up the production of children's scooters, because while the competition on the bicycle market is fierce, children's vehicles are at best offered by regional manufacturers.
toys and bicycle
Puck, as the brand was called until 1956 (the name was changed due to the similarity in name to the Austrian Puch AG), was presented on different platforms from the start. Already at the first German toy trade fair in Nuremberg in 1950 you can marvel at the pneumatic scooters, bicycles and tricycles, which are vehicles as well as toys. The concentration on two different markets is still a characteristic of Puky today: Toy vehicles are sold primarily through the toy trade, bicycles through the bicycle trade. And a lot has happened in both markets in recent years.
A children's bike for 300 euros? Ten years ago something like this would have been difficult to sell. In 2010, the average price of a bicycle was 460 euros; correspondingly little was spent on children's bicycles. But then came the e-bike boom. In 2017, an average of around 700 euros was spent on a new bicycle or pedelec, in 2020 this value had risen to almost 1.300 euros according to Statista. Of course, this rapid development reflects the rapidly increasing sales figures (and the high prices) of electric bikes, but as Puky Managing Director Mathias Heller explains, this was accompanied by an increased value of bikes in general in the consciousness of consumers.
This had several consequences for Puky: On the one hand, the brand's bicycles were no longer perceived as particularly expensive, which also meant that Puky was able to work on models that previously had little chance on the market. On the other hand, the competition has increased. Established bike manufacturers, who had previously neglected the topic of children's bikes, became active, and numerous small companies were founded that focus on high-priced children's bikes.
Sportier range
Even if the cake hasn't gotten bigger, as Mathias Heller puts it, Puky has still benefited from this development. Not least because the bicycle market is on the move anyway: Young parents today ride different bicycles than their own parents and also want different material for their children. And so Puky has become significantly sportier in parts, first with the second brand Eightshot, which was launched a few years ago, then with the lightweight wheels of the LS-Pro line sold under Puky. Technical development also helped here: Rim brakes were not standardized for a long time, so there was no alternative to backpedaling on children's bikes. Only the development of special brake levers made it possible for children to operate the V-brakes, which were otherwise too sharp. And derailleur gears are only found on larger models from 20 inches, which are no longer subject to the special standards for children's bicycles (and are therefore also called "bicycles" at Puky) - all children's bicycles are equipped with a closed chain case or with a chain guard to prevent injuries prevented by pinching.
In addition to the new, light sports models, the classic children's bike is also holding its ground very well. For many families, modern everyday bikes with child-friendly equipment and a weight-optimized frame are the logical next step after the Puky toy vehicle à la Wutsch, balance bike, tricycle and scooter, and for children it is often the first step into a bike shop, the toy vehicles are usually still found in toy shops bought. However, in more than 50% of cases today, this means that they are ordered online because the stationary toy trade is on the decline. And not only the purchase, but also the procurement of information has shifted to the Internet, so that a manufacturer today has to be very active in social media in order to reach consumers. Mathias Heller speaks of a "reversed consumer behavior", which also affects the model range: "When buying online, parents decide according to their taste," explains the managing director, and that is why the smaller vehicles - ride-ons and balance bikes - are now also available in discreet ones Available in pastel shades that perfectly match the tasteful modern home. "Children would buy the brightly colored model," says the Puky boss with a smile.
You wouldn't reach the children with technical specifications, he explains - and neither would the parents. Word-of-mouth propaganda plays a major role in the purchase decision, explains Heller, and in the industry Puky is still considered the "mama brand" when it comes to the purchase decision. The production in Germany also contributes to the good reputation of Puky, and this brings us to one of the most interesting aspects of the company. The manufacture of frames and components has always been one of the company's core competencies.
Insights from a factory visit
Anyone who visits the factory today can not only marvel at a high-bay warehouse, sales offices and an in-house test laboratory (more on the latter in a moment), but also see live how a toy vehicle or bicycle frame is made from bare pipes. All steel frames are manufactured in Wülfrath, with many processing steps now being carried out by machine; However, the supplied aluminum frames also get their high-quality powder coating in the paint shop. Especially the production of some children's vehicles is worth seeing: The frame of a scooter basically consists of a single tube that is CNC-controlled and bent several times and pressed flat at the ends to accommodate the rear wheel; then struts and the head tube are welded on, and off we go to powder. With the "My own Puky" product range, individual color designs for individual vehicles are even possible for the consumer thanks to the in-house powder system.
While modern robots are now responsible for welding, all assembly work is carried out entirely by hand. And by external workers, because Puky has been working closely with workshops for people with disabilities for decades. What started in the 1970s with simple packaging work has developed into a veritable success story: a total of around 500 men and women assemble the high-quality Puky vehicles in several workshops. Although the cooperation with the workshops also has an economic component for the company, it is also about integration and participation through work at a company that offers comparatively varied activities and with which the employees of the workshops can identify. Work is done here without time pressure or fixed specifications, but this makes the integration into the entire production process quite complex.
integration through work
In the assembly hall there is a concentrated but lively mood; when visiting with marketing man Guido Meitler, he is greeted from several sides and asked about the new Puky T-shirts. Puky Managing Director Mathias Heller refers to the high motivation and quality of work of the people with disabilities, for whom the varied job at Puky is definitely something fulfilling - above all because they can see the result of their work on the street again and again. The employment relationship in the workshops also means an extremely high level of social security for those who work there. The fitters in the workshops and at Puky are accompanied at all times by the staff of their actual employer, the workshop.
There is also a lot going on at Meikel Haarhaus's workplace. The graduate engineer heads the in-house test laboratory in which products and components are put through their paces. When all the test benches are running, it is so loud that it becomes difficult to have a conversation. On one side, a girl's bike rattles over the dynamometer, hung with heavy weights; on the other, a frame is rhythmically compressed and expanded. Quite a lot of effort for children's bikes, isn't it?
Small loads with large outliers
But it is precisely with these that high stability is important, as the test manager explains; Children are little masters when it comes to using their vehicles in anything other than the way they were intended. As a couple on a bike or just riding down a short flight of stairs - that doesn't usually come to mind for adults, but it's everyday life with children's bikes. And that's why it's important to develop for peak loads, as engineer Haarhaus illustrates with a small graphic. A Puky never pushes the crowd of good cyclists to their limits - but just that little rascal who rides as if his children's bike were a downhill bike. In addition to the test benches, the development program also includes handing young test pilots vehicles equipped with special sensors. This makes it possible to record the loads acting on the bicycles and scooters in real life, and this is also important for the development of practical laboratory measurements. A second focus of testing technology is the assessment of supplied components, which also includes all aluminum frames.
Puky's high quality awareness is a guarantee for a long service life of the vehicles. As managing director Heller explains, many Pukys are driven by up to four generations of children: the first owner and his siblings are followed by the second-hand market, where experience has shown that the vehicles fetch good prices; At some point the tricycle, balance bike & Co. will then be resold at the children's flea market. In view of the long service life, Puky offers a spare parts guarantee of up to ten years as part of the Puky quality promise.
Lifetime Companion
In the course of time, Puky has continued to develop, has brought new concepts and models onto the market and modernized existing ones. One thing, however, cannot be changed: the company's vehicles are life stage companions; sooner or later you outgrow them and can only look back wistfully - right? Luckily there is something Puky for bigger and bigger ones. The sporty "SpeedUs" scooter can be ridden up to two meters tall, it can also be loaded with up to 100 kilos, and Puky has already announced other exciting new models for 2022: Cyke, Skyride and LS-Pro will then also be included 26-inch wheels for riders up to 1,70 meters. The current generation of Puky users can easily remain loyal to the vehicles from Wülfrath for two years longer.
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