Brand new headquarters mark the start of the next SUP chapter for Uone

The last time we caught up with Hubert Tobis, Founder of Uone, a premium Polish stand-up paddleboarding and watersport brand specialising exclusively in inflatable boards, he was getting his business off the ground in a true start-up mode. Quite a lot has changed since then and we just had the opportunity to visit Uone’s impressive new headquarters and showroom in Poznan, Poland, and chat with Hubert (over a glass of Metaxa!) about his growth journey and how building a stand-up paddleboarding brand aligns with general industry and economic trends.

Hi Hubert, thank you for having us at your impressive new HQ. It’s been nearly two years since our last conversation. How is it all going?

We have expanded and although SUP is still at the very heart of everything we do, we’re a Polish sport equipment brand. We’ve been building it meticulously and step by step, moving forward each year. As with building anything, you need to create strong foundation in order to keep growing even faster. I hope this phase is behind us and we’ll start accelerating from there.

What’s the situation on the Polish SUP market?

The SUP market in Poland is very dynamic however it has entered the next phase of being flooded with very cheap products. I think the SUP market has reached its peak already and now it’s the time for the manufacturers and dealers to cut out the biggest possible slice of this “cake” for themselves.

I think it’s also facing a decrease in supply with many players already fatigued with the sales impasse caused by external factors such as the war in Ukraine, inflation and a general decline in interest of high-quality goods including SUP boards.  At Uone, we’re continuously developing a growth strategy on top of everything that we have achieved as we don’t want to end up like these proverbial business dinosaurs.

What are the new SUP customers after?

New customers who are starting their adventure with stand-up paddleboarding are usually (and unfortunately!) looking for the cheapest product on the market, putting this factor above all others. On the other hand, new users who come to us and are focused on buying our boards, are looking for a good product with a long-term warranty and the best, post-sale customer service support in Poland. In addition to that, most of our customers are now looking for touring boards starting from 11’6″ and  upwards!

What are the most popular board models in the Uone quiver?

The most popular board models in the Uone fleet fit perfectly into what I’ve just mentioned so we’re looking at touring boards such as the Traveler, Voyager, Wanderer and Super 11’6″.

How will Uone grow?

Let me answer here in a relatively general way to protect our trade secrets. We anticipate  continuous growth and strengthening our position in Poland while gaining recognition and entering international markets, which is very difficult in these times!

When it comes to the Polish market, thanks to our strategy and actions, we want to get more pieces of that pie which is to be divided among all sellers! I can however spill one thing… Uone will be introducing a light board model in the Super line, to compete with the Lidl’s Mistrals, which I hope will help us get into the market of the turbo-budget boards!

Thank you for your time Hubert and hopefully see you in Berlin!

Visit Uone at Halle 4.2, Booth 120 at the Boat and Fun Expo, held on the 30 November – 3 December in Berlin. 

To find out more about Uone, visit www.u1.net.pl and follow the brand on Instagram and Facebook

If would like to become business partners and part of the „uhlan” SUP family, get in touch with Hubert Tobis via email uone@road24.pl or telephone +48 600 934 216