Elaces - The Company

Organizational Background

Elaces is a clothing and accessory brand serving the sport of triathlon based out of England, United Kingdom. Elaces' mission statement is, “To provide stylish multi-sport clothing and accessories of a quality and at a price expected and required by competitive athletes.” Elaces was founded in 2008 and operations first began in a rural location in Worcestershire, England.

Elaces started business in 2008 by producing and selling handmade elastic laces for use in triathlon and other multisport activities. In the early weeks of trading the company sold its products exclusively on the on-line auctioning site, eBay, before Elaces set up its own web-site – www.elaces.co.uk in November 2008. Elaces began providing laces in bulk to triathlon clubs based in the United Kingdom and supplied their products to local retailers such as Knowles Sports of Worcester.

At the start of 2009 Elaces added blue laces to its color range of black and white with blue fleck. Improvements to the product packaging were made and Elaces began to supply Bourne Sports of Stoke-On-Trent. The company made an appearance at the Triathlon, Cycling & Running (TCR) Exhibition in Sandown Park, Surrey, England which gave triathletes the opportunity to sample and purchase Elaces' products. At the exhibition Elaces also helped stock retailers such as Running Shoes London. In the Spring of 2009 Elaces added Pink laces to their color range. At the start of the 2009 UK triathlon season, Elaces made further appearances at local triathlon events in the Worcestershire area before relocating operations to Manchester in northern England. Before the end of 2009 Elaces products could be found in more UK sports retailers including Runaround Sports and Howzat Sports based at various leisure centers throughout Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire. Elaces products also began to be sold by an Australian distributor based in Victoria. At this stage Elaces began to consider other lines of triathlon products and the design process started in preparation for the production of the first Elaces triathlon suit. Elaces teamed up with a local sportswear manufacturer and production began in a factory based in China.

Elaces began selling pre-orders of their triathlon suits at the start of 2010 and the stock arrived in the UK by March of that year. Elaces' portfolio of retailers increased throughout 2010 to include one of the largest retailers in the north-east. Elaces also began to produce further triathlon accessories such as triathlon race belts and added red and lime colored laces to their color range. In August 2010 all Elaces' stock was moved back to Worcestershire, England from where all orders are now shipped.

Current Situation

Today, Elaces prides itself on being the premier supplier of triathlon accessories in the United Kingdom and its share of the apparel market is also growing. Stability remains solid and continued growth is being realized. Elaces remains very active in the triathlon community through which healthy marketing efforts are promoted. The company was formed during the economic downturn and as a consequence has learned to survive when economic conditions are less than ideal.

Elaces continues to produce quality triathlon accessories and apparel at an affordable price to its customers. Everyone involved in the design process of Elaces' products has or is currently involved in endurance sports and understands the needs of competitive athletes and triathletes. In this way Elaces aims to match or surpass the expectations of their customers.

Elaces continues to support multi-sport events that donate to charity. Charities that Elaces have supported in the past include Sport Relief and Cancer Research. These charities have been supported by donating a percentage of online sales.

Elaces continues to grow at a pace that can be absorbed by its human and operational resources. New retailers both within and outside of the UK continue to be sourced and there are plans to increase the company's product range.

Product/Service Description

Elaces provides accessories and apparel to customers involved in multi-sports such as triathlon. They are focused on design, innovation and providing products of a quality and at a price that will remain attractive to athletes for the foreseeable future. Elaces has promoted its products as being designed by and with the needs of athletes in mind and this has enabled them to establish themselves as the UK's premier manufacturer of triathlon accessories.

The knowledge and experience of those involved in the design process is important to Elaces. Elaces ensures that all members of the design team have had experience competing in endurance sports and that they understand the needs of multi-sport athletes. Elaces believes that the experience of its designers and the value offered by its products will set it aside from the competition.

Elaces' accessory products include elasticated triathlon laces and race belts. Elasticated triathlon laces are designed so that triathletes can put their running shoes on easily following the bike section of the race. Elaces' triathlon laces are 100 cm in length and include a cord locking device that means the length of the laces can be adjusted to a preferred length. Elaces currently supplies their laces in five different colors: white with blue fleck, black, blue, red and lime. Elaces race belts comprise of a stretch of elasticated nylon webbing with a buckle that enables athletes to fix it around their waist. A race number can be attached to the race belt so that the athlete's race number can be displayed during the bike and run sections of the competition.

Elaces' apparel includes male triathlon suits. The triathlon suits is an all in one short sleeve Lycra suit that can be worn during the swim, bike and run sections of a triathlon. Features of Elaces' triathlon suits include:

Moisture transporting Lycra to keep athletes cool and dry
Antibacterial seat pad
Short sleeve
Lower leg grips to prevent shorts from riding up
Thoroughly tested to withstand all the rigours of swimming, biking and running
Sizes S-XL