Business Action | Winter 2023
Winter 2023 issue of the independent North Devon-based business magazine covering news on business and enterprise in the area. This issue includes the coverage of BBxpo Bideford business exhibition on 26 October 2023, the upcoming launch of the North Devon Business Awards 2024 and articles on businesses in Ilfracombe, local business directory listings plus more.
Winter 2023 issue of the independent North Devon-based business magazine covering news on business and enterprise in the area. This issue includes the coverage of BBxpo Bideford business exhibition on 26 October 2023, the upcoming launch of the North Devon Business Awards 2024 and articles on businesses in Ilfracombe, local business directory listings plus more.
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HEADER NEWS<br />
From South Molton to the Rugby World Cup<br />
Aramis Rugby,thefamily-run<br />
sportsequipmentmanufacturer,<br />
basedinSouthMolton,has<br />
recentlycompleteditsbiggest<br />
everprojectatthe<strong>2023</strong>Rugby<br />
WorldCup.<br />
Thecompany,whichalso<br />
hasafactoryinPunjab,India,<br />
makesrugbyequipment<br />
includingitsuniquedigital<br />
scrummachines,tacklebags,<br />
rugbyballsandsportswear.It<br />
suppliesproductstonational<br />
unionpartnersItaly,Fijiand<br />
Samoaaswellasprofessional<br />
ItaliansideZebreParma.<br />
VikasandRoshniMahajan,<br />
whorunAramisRugby,are<br />
alsocommittedtosupporting<br />
communitysport,proudly<br />
providingequipmenttomore<br />
than4,700localschoolsand<br />
clubsintheUK.<br />
AramisRugby’sbiggest<br />
successtodateisasanOfficial<br />
SupporterofRugbyWorldCup<br />
France<strong>2023</strong>,havingprovided<br />
equipmenttoall20competing<br />
teams,includingitsanalytical<br />
scrummachines,whicharethe<br />
mostadvancedintheworld.<br />
100 years in business<br />
Thebusinesswasstartedby<br />
Vikas’grandfatherin1927,<br />
makinghockeysticksusedby<br />
theIndianOlympicTeamto<br />
wingoldateveryOlympics<br />
from1928until1956.This<br />
winningstreakendedin1960<br />
aftertheteamchangedsupplier.<br />
Thecompany,thenknown<br />
asIDM,expandedintocricket<br />
batsafterVikas’dad,Sukhdip,<br />
tookoverthebusiness.<br />
VikasmovedtoEnglandin<br />
2003andafterthecouple’s<br />
arrangedmarriageandbirthof<br />
theirson,Ryan,Roshnibecame<br />
moreinvolvedwiththebusiness,<br />
drawingonherdesignand<br />
engineeringbackground.<br />
SettlinginSouthMolton,<br />
whichhasnorecognisable<br />
Asiancommunity,Roshnisays:<br />
“Theymightthinkyou’rea<br />
professionallikeadoctoror<br />
nurseorsomething,but<br />
otherwiseit’ssurelygottobe<br />
thatyouarerunninga<br />
restaurantorashop.Somearea<br />
littletakenabackwhenthey<br />
discoverI’madirectorofa<br />
companythatisoneofthe<br />
biggestmanufacturersofrugby<br />
equipmentintheworld.<br />
Sheadds:“SouthMoltonis<br />
homenow;weallfeelpartof<br />
thecommunityandourson<br />
goestothelocalschool.”<br />
Rebranding to Aramis<br />
Vikashastravelledextensively<br />
andtookhisMaster’sin<br />
International<strong>Business</strong>in<br />
Germany.Itwastheplanned<br />
expansionofthebusinessinto<br />
theEuropeanmarketthatled<br />
torebrandingitasAramis<br />
afterthefamousmusketeer.<br />
Themoveintorugby<br />
equipmentandthestartof<br />
manufacturingintheUKcame<br />
aboutthroughAustralian<br />
connectionsestablishedby<br />
Vikas’brother,Ajay.<br />
Aramisisnowoneofvery<br />
fewUKrugbyretailersthat<br />
ownsandoperatesthe<br />
manufacturingsideofits<br />
business,withfactoriesin<br />
EnglandandIndia.<br />
Otherrugbybusinesses<br />
oftenoutsourcethissideofthe<br />
business,butitissomething<br />
Aramisseesgreatvalueinand,<br />
ultimately,iswhatledtothem<br />
developingtheirstate-of-theartscrummachines.<br />
Vikasexplains:“Scrum<br />
machineshaveexisted,inone<br />
formoranother,forawhile.<br />
Butwewantedtotakethescrum<br />
machineontothenextphase,a<br />
nextgenerationifyoulike.”<br />
Digital scrum machines<br />
Guidedbythisphilosophy,they<br />
broughtinformerEngland<br />
internationalNigelHortonand<br />
usedAjay’scivilengineering<br />
experiencetodevelopthisnext<br />
generation.Roshnihelped<br />
realisetheseplanswithher<br />
designskills,whichledto<br />
Aramislaunchingtheirfirst<br />
modelin2016.<br />
Aramis Rugby equipment at the Rugby World Cup <strong>2023</strong> in France<br />
Thescrummachinedisplayed<br />
theforcebeingusedbyaplayer<br />
andalsorecordedthatforce<br />
digitallytopreserveatimeline<br />
whichcouldthenbeusedfor<br />
post-analysis.Thisallows<br />
playerstomonitorandimprove<br />
theirperformance.<br />
Followingitsachievements<br />
attheRugbyWorldCup,<br />
Aramisplanstocontinueto<br />
Aramis Rugby scrum machines manufactured in South Molton leaving for the<br />
Rugby World Cup <strong>2023</strong> in France<br />
innovate,withfivenewmodels<br />
ofscrummachines,andother<br />
traininggear,currentlyin<br />
researchanddevelopment.The<br />
firmiscollaboratingwithExeter<br />
Universityonthiswithaspecial<br />
emphasisonplayersafety.<br />
Roshniconcludes:“Wedon’t<br />
justwantthenameAramisto<br />
beassociatedwiththegame,we<br />
wantittobethenamepeople<br />
thinkoffirst.”<br />
VikasMahajanisoneofthe<br />
independentjudgesforthe<br />
NorthDevon<strong>Business</strong>Awards.<br />
■ Details01769550284or<br />
aramisrugby.co.uk<br />
business-action.uk | <strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2023</strong> | business action 21
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