Brompton Bicycle is doubling the size of its factory floor space to meet growing international demand for its folding bikes.

The British manufacturer aims to make 100,000 bikes a year by 2021, so is moving to an 86,000 sq ft plant in Greenford, west London, which is nearly twice the size of its current base in nearby Brentford.



Although Brompton is only moving a few miles down the road, it marks a shift in gear for the company that began life in its inventor’s west London flat in 1975.

The company said staying in the capital was essential to its identity: “We are committed to London. Brompton was born from a need of city living, our staff are Londoners and the city continues to to inform how Brompton develops.”

Its chief financial officer, Lorne Vary, said Brompton had spent a couple of years looking for the right site, but was prepared to pay the London property premium to retain its skilled workforce.

The manufacturer invests 18 months in training its brazers, the craftsmen who put the steel frame of the bike together. “We’ve got a highly skilled workforce … and we really wanted to take our staff with us,” Vary said.

“Additionally in the overseas market Made in London is very strong; British manufacturing is held in high esteem, so to a lesser degree that was important.



“By keeping manufacturing in London we have got better control over it rather than it being outsourced.”

Overseas buyers bought 80% of the 45,000 bikes Brompton sold last year, with demand growing strongly among urbanites in Asia and the US.

Vary said of the target to make 100,000 bikes a year by 2021: “It’s a huge goal to hit. We would love to hit it five years from now ... but realistically [it is] probably six years from now.”

The growth of Brompton into the UK’s largest bicycle manufacturer marks a transformation since Andrew Ritchie began designing its first bike in 1975 from his flat in South Kensington, west London. The name was borrowed from the Brompton Oratory, the imposing Roman Catholic church next to Ritchie’s flat.

In the early years, Brompton attracted a niche market of enthusiasts, but production took off after 2002 when the company reorganised its production line and began taking on more skilled staff.

It made £3.4m profit on a turnover of £28m last year and employs 240 staff, more than half of which have skilled manufacturing jobs.

Brompton exports its bikes to 44 countries, and has stores in cities in the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Thailand and China.

The move to Greenford is already under way and is expected to be completed by January 2016.