Zai works on his new future

After the departure of the founder and inventor of Zai, Simon Jacomet, and the closure of the factory, major question marks remained regarding the continued existence of the Graubünden ski brand. Now Zai is orienting itself about the next steps of its continued existence.

Now the company informs us via press release about the future of the handmade high-end ski from Graubünden as follows:

The Graubünden-based ski manufacturer zai is restructuring: The new manufactory is created in a joint venture with the Italian company Blossom Skis in Bergell. The zai Lab and the showroom move to Zurich near the partner ETH. The reorientation is supported by the investors, who have invested more than 14 million Swiss francs in 15 years in the uncompromising idea of a handmade ski from the mountains of Graubünden. Production, research and distribution are viewed from an overall perspective: production remains in Graubünden. Research will be outsourced and the distribution structure will be maintained via the tried and tested dealers.

Manufacture in Bergell
Zai is committed to the production site and the DNA of the Grisons. The manufactory is moving from Disentis to Bergell. The exact location is still open. With the joint venture, Zai and Blossom Skis want to combine competence and quality, as well as Swissness and functionality with efficient production processes and thus meet the zeitgeist in ski construction. The cooperation with Blossom Skis enables Zai to continue to manufacture high-quality skis in Switzerland, but also to offer high-quality and handmade skis in the mid-price segment. Thereby the ranges from Allround to Racing are covered. Zai will continue to be sold through its established dealers, who distribute Zai products in particular in the Engadine and Flims Laax, but also internationally.

Zai Lab in Zurich
While the collection for next winter has already been produced, the zai Lab in the Zurich region is working on a revolutionary new ski for the 2019/2020 season. The new ski will take the stone from the core to the surface and surprise with a new design. The location of the zai Lab is also particularly important for the close collaboration with ETH. On the one hand, there is an Innosuisse project in the field of materials science, and on the other hand, one with an ETH spin-off in the field of design. In addition, Zai has access to the largest 3D printer in German-speaking Europe. The Zai Lab near Zurich is thus a hub for technology, business and marketing. Attached to the Zai Lab is also the showroom, which presents the Zai world from ski to helmet to clothing and golf at a central international customer location. According to Zai AG - Via dalla Stampa 8- 7180 Disentis - Switzerland T +41 81 936 44 55 - F +41 81 936 44 56- www.zai.ch - [email protected] as before, customers in the Alps will be able to test Zai products, gain insight into the Zai philosophy and make use of the Zai service. Former Graubünden World Cup skier Franco Cavegn will continue to accompany Zai events. He, too, appreciates the "tough" quality and durability of Zai skis (zai Romansh for "tough").

In the end, you do what you should have done a long time ago, and what people in the industry have always wondered about anyway: you lower the prices of the ski models to a marketable level. As in our Report in January 2018 described, one had failed for a long time to offer models that appeal not only to luxury customers, who were becoming fewer and fewer every year, but also to a broader group of buyers. They had long failed to adapt to the changing market and continued to live the concept with exorbitantly expensive skis, which was in at the time of the founding of Zai but now out for several years. The price was the end of the previous production. The cooperation with the also small manufacturer Blossom will certainly help both brands, how successful the story will end for Zai in the process, we will follow step by step. At this point, we all keep our fingers crossed for the Zai brand, they can use it.