Jimmy Lewis factory
Jimmy Lewis’ boards have the finest SUP construction in the industry, bar none. They are made exclusively in the Kinetic factory in Vietnam where they’ve been building boards for decades and no expense is spared to make Jimmy’s boards the strongest and lightest in the world. Jimmy’s boards are built to last a decade or more, and the hand-polished finish is crafted like a fine automobile.
James Chen, who owns the factory, says this about his board-building philosophy “I make the boards so that the customers are happy. If the customers are happy, the dealers are happy. If the dealers are happy, the distributors are happy. If the distributors are happy, then I am happy!”
Jimmy started shaping in 1968. Here is one of his very first boards.
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One of the hidden details that shows the care that goes into the construction of all of Jimmy’s boards. The fin boxes are custom made and the fins fit perfectly every time with no need to fine-tune the fins to fit, or add shims so they don’t wobble.
There are more than 200 people employed at the factory. Quality is of utmost importance and the workers are paid not by their speed, but by the quality of their work. Happy workers equals happy customers!
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FACT: The precision of the boards is unmatched in the industry and has extremely fine tolerances. The all-important rocker line is accurate to within a millimeter or two of the way Jimmy designed it. No other board builder can even come close to matching the quality control and accuracy from this factory.
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Special weaves of fiberglass are custom ordered with Kinetic’s secret yarn specifications. This cloth is designed to make the boards lighter and stronger than ever before possible. The Airex high-density foam used in the sandwich is the finest (and most expensive) available in the world. It is much stronger and more resilient to impact than any other type of construction method used in high-performance boards.
The modern factory is well lit, clean, and well ventilated. A great place to work! Maybe that is why the team of builders are all long term employees who are trained and highly skilled in their roles.
Each detail is checked and re-checked before going on to the next station. Flaws in the boards simply don’t exist.
[stag_columns][stag_one_half] The finishing takes many hours of labour and comes out perfect every time. With the super-tough paint finish on Jimmy’s boards, there is no chance that UV rays will get through to the fiberglass laminations and break down the epoxy even after many years of exposure to the sun (something to think about for anyone contemplating a board with a cheap sanded-off carbon finish). [/stag_one_half] [stag_one_half_last][/stag_one_half_last] [/stag_columns]
The boards are all packed with high-quality packing materials so your board is guaranteed to arrive in perfect condition. The cardboard boxes (not shown) are of extremely high quality to withstand almost any abuse.