MANUFACTURING of mouth , whether it ’ s online social media or otherwise , approximately 40 percent of the company ’ s sales are credited to international buyers . Of that 40 percent , approximately 60 percent are U . S . customers , and the rest of the demographics are largely comprised of the UK and Europe , with a small amount reaching into Asia as well .
Another key component of Flying Machine ’ s continued success is delivering on promises . “ We do what we say we ’ re going to do ,” said Andrew . “ We want to make really nice bikes , good quality , made to last — that ’ s what we intend to do , and that ’ s what we do . This in itself helps us to get quite a few referrals from those who ’ ve had the chance to experience our bikes .” Flying Machine then works to tie all of that into a tidy package that can be viewed and shared on the Internet so people can see exactly what the company is capable of .
Pedaled by Design-based Background Andrew credits his design-based background with much of the driving force behind the company ’ s distinguishing characteristics .
Instead of the bicycle-mechanic , sports or racing background which is typical of the industry , Andrew has a background in the arts , possessing a Diploma of Fine Art and Design ( Major in Printmaking , Minor in Sculpture ) from the Claremont School of Fine Art . “ We ’ re creatively focused on what our customers are interested in . Yes , we like making bikes , and from a technical point of view we do indeed want them to be as high quality and cutting edge as possible . But there are all the other creative angles of what we ’ re involved with which we embrace as much as possible ,” said Andrew .
Andrew points out that this embrace can come down to the smallest of factors , too . This is especially true with the consideration that the bike industry is fairly conservative in relation to adopting new ways of doing things . “ Granted , there are always innovators out there . But as a general rule , the bigger companies in the industry are less flexible and slow to take on new things . And even from a customer point of view , people generally like what they understand , and if something ’ s
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