Salix Origins
In the late 1970's, Andrew Kember cut down a willow tree on his father’s farm, fashioned a handle from cane drain rods and wellington boots and made his first cricket bat.
This he took with him to meet John Newbery in Northiam who immediately offered him an apprenticeship with the company. Within days he was making bats and the next few years gave him an extraordinary grounding in everything from tree planting to final finishing. During changes to the company structure he also spent valuable time at both Readers and Gray Nicolls before returning to Newbery in Robertsbridge where he remained making bats with John until the latter’s untimely death in 1989.
In 1990, in conjunction with Hugh Betts - a talented cricketer and business graduate - The Salix Cricket Bat Company was set up. Without an established brand name, unlabelled bats were initially made for other well known companies until Andrew designed his own label for Salix and drove his old Triumph up to Romida Sports in Lancashire.
The late Mike Richardson liked this first range of bats, put them in his shop and catalogue and Romida became - and remain - Salix's biggest customers. Undoubtedly this early support paved the way: as word spread Salix became the youngest brand sold through the most respected cricket specialists throughout the UK.
In 1992 Ian Carey joined the company, working side by side with Andrew in bat finishing to create the signature finish which has become such a vital part of the bats. In 1996 Andrew’s wife Victoria joined to tackle the administrative side of the business, focusing especially on design, finance and marketing.
The company has continued with these four core members to the present day, currently with extra support in production and finishing from students Jenny Kember and Jo Watts.
Design From Scratch
Despite Andrew's early experience and innate talent, setting up a cricket bat manufacturing business from scratch was no mean feat. Handmaking - for him - was the easy part, whereas setting up plant for cleft processing was complex. Cricket bat making machinery is not available off the shelf, so every machine, jig and process was designed and built by Andrew with help from specialist engineers. He wanted to go beyond his apprenticeship to build a company which was totally self-sufficient from the tree or cleft. This spirit of design and development has never ceased with a second unique press revolutionising the pressing and profiles across the range.
Andrew would be the first to admit that even though he had a fortunate and thorough grounding back in Sussex, it was not until he founded Salix that he truly learnt just how hard it is to produce a traditional craft product on a commercial scale. Without an inherited brand name or huge player endorsement, the only way Salix would become a lasting, recognised brand able to compete against the giants of the industry was to produce a consistently high quality product with real design merit. It is not enough simply to hark back to traditional values, to endlessly repackage the traditional craftsman image, to rely solely on the 'handmade' banner... the bats need to be strikingly and consistently well made and to perform exceptionally to be credible in a crowded marketplace. Whilst manufacturing for individual players is rewarding, great pride is taken from the demand for the products amongst cricket specialist shops and the respect the brand commands. Salix remains a cottage industry in a sports arena.
Quality & Design
Whilst the bats are refined and improved constantly, the same ethos is applied to the equipment which has acquired an equal reputation for design excellence. Andrew and Victoria spend time in the factories overseas where pads and gloves are made, developing new ideas and creating ranges with intelligent protection. The equipment is designed with reason rather than gimmicks with the emphasis firmly placed on protection, ease of movement, lightness, comfort and finish.
The bat labels have also become a focal part of the Salix brand with all design in house. Controlling the brand image within the company gives the brand depth and credibility, facilitating ongoing development of new ideas and designs such as the Pod which emerged during the 2006 season. Each year Andrew eclipses previous ranges, constantly experimenting and refining.
Salix tries to infuse every aspect of the business with excellence. Battling against overwhelming demand and the burden that comes from keeping so much in house, everyone gives their utmost in the pursuit of exceptional bats, especially in junior sizes when a good bat is so important. We believe in the brand and hope that this passion shines through in the quality of design, finish and performance of the products.
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