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Hey Padel enthusiasts welcome to Padel Smash Academy, I am Cesc and I am here with Julian and we're all about Padel! Whether you're new to the sport or an experienced player, you've come to the right place. Our goal is to provide you with the best tips & tricks, news, and weekly lessons to help you improve your game and take your Padel to the next level. So grab your Padel Racket and let's get started with all things Padel on Padel Smash Academy.
Hey, Julian says here and welcome
to another exciting episode of
Paddle Smash Academy today, we're
so excited to have Tower Paddle, one
of the leading brands in the paddle
world, uh, here in the United States.
Thanks, Joe.
Welcome to the show.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you so much for inviting me.
It's a pleasure.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So why don't you talk a little bit about,
uh, yourself and your history in, in Palo?
Well, um, I born with, with
this sport, uh, and grow up.
Um, my father started a brand.
Uh, 36 years ago.
Wow.
In Argentina.
Yeah, it's a long story.
Um, he's making only rackets in Argentina,
and I moved here around three years ago.
Eh, always thinking to, to bring
tower to USA Now you're, you're
talking about paddle rackets.
You, your, your father and this company
made pedal racks 30 for 36 years now.
Yeah, exactly.
We start with wooden racks and then
we wooden with aluminum and then.
Fiberglass carbon, and right now we
have so many different materials.
So, so you were born in a paddle
family pretty much, right?
I think I have paddle in my block.
Yeah.
If you got, I think you say, yeah.
So your father must, your whole
family must say paddle then,
you know, in Argentina, right?
Yeah, he was a coach when he was
a kid, and then he started the
brand tower and also Top Force,
uh, is another worldwide company.
Then he sold his part and
he, he stay with, with Tower.
Um, for, for a long time.
Um, at that beginning, the pilot in
Argentina was very, very popular.
Yeah.
So, um, to as well become a, a well
known brand, you know, um, we have
players like, uh, re um, and a lot of.
Old school players, which
now they're coaches Yeah.
Right now are coaches.
Yes, exactly.
Exactly.
Almost all the people in the,
in the paddle world knows
the, the brand, you know?
Yeah.
And what, what make you decide now
it's time to move to the United States?
Yeah.
That was, um, when I came here around
three years ago, I started playing Paddle
with Friends and, and that was, uh, when
I met my, my wife, she played Paddle
Amazing also here in USA or here in
USA, she played the national team also.
So how did you get to the USA?
Was it for, uh, business?
Uh, no, I moved, I moved to USA
because I was very tired in Argentina.
The economic politician,
social, everything was.
With a lot of change.
Mm-hmm.
So I tried to, to came here with, with,
to make something different and try to
thinking always to bring tower to USA.
Because I know the, the potential of
the brand and this one is the first,
uh, the first country in the world
to, to, to make growth our brand.
So, so now when you, when you came
here and you introduced Tower the
rackets, uh, how did, did you get, uh,
what was the feel from it from people?
What did they, they, at the
beginning it was very hard.
Okay.
Because here you have.
Almost all the brands, the, the,
the, the first brands, the Wilsons
about, and you have American ones.
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
And also you have, uh, Knox Will pad in
all the, the best brands in the world.
So I start thinking to, how can
I push my brand here in USA?
So.
When I meet my wife, um, she has
very details in, in everything
and she helped me to, to think
how we can, we can make this.
And we start with, with, with
clothes, apparel, activewear.
I. I try to, to get the best
quality with the best price.
Uh, and that was the, the beginning.
So, so what made you go into apparel?
'cause apparel's a big market.
It's a tough market, you know, I'm saying.
But, um, it's a niche,
especially for paddle.
'cause there's not, I, I guess
you saw that there's nothing
there for that niche and now it's
kind of how your route, right?
And then the second question is.
How was the whole process?
Because I mean, I know you've gotta
find the right shirts, um, that
fit perfect for the paddle players.
Your whole process of going
overseas, how did you do that?
Did you use a broker?
The language barrier over there?
How many times did you have to do that?
How many times were you burnt
and got the wrong thing?
People want to know that whole story.
I, I think people want to.
No, like, I want to do that, you
know, but they always kind of stop
because there's just too much work
and they don't know that process.
So why don't you tell our
viewers that that story, that
was, that was very, very hard.
We start around one year and a
half, uh, almost two years, uh,
and only find suppliers, find.
Try to find the best quality of fabrics.
Um, and then you have like small details
like logos, tags, bags, and not, not
almost all the people think that, um,
we start buying samples in Chinese, uh,
websites, try to, to get good samples,
but it's very, very difficult to find.
Quality.
So were you disa disappointed that, I
mean, when you received At the beginning
yes, because I spent time and money.
Yeah.
I spent a lot of, a lot of money.
Try to, to, to get the best samples.
And we decide to, to go to China
to, to see the best factories,
to see the, the Canton Fair.
He's a huge fair in, in China.
So, so is that the first thing you
did go to the fair or did you contact
a brokerage or somebody to help you?
Because there's a language barrier there.
How did that whole process, you
just don't go to China and hope?
No, no, a hundred percent.
Yeah.
That was, that was because we have a
friend in China, he's Chinese also.
Okay.
I, I, when I moved.
Is he, is he Argentinian?
No.
No.
Oh, okay.
He's from, he speaks
Spanish and English, both.
Only English.
Okay.
Um, she, she speak English and,
and, and, and Chinese of course.
So we have this person in China.
It's like a private agent.
Okay.
Um, but she, she has.
Completely another business.
She's in the te uh, business
and, and she, she work with us
like a three PL in, in, in China.
So, okay.
She, she have like a
small warehouse for us.
We have machines, everything to
print, logo and, and everything.
But she, she's the person that he want.
She go to the factory to talk with the,
with the factory to suppliers to give
me, oh, this price, this fabric, this.
So is there agencies that do that or,
um, you just No, it's only for us.
She, she's not the nation.
Right?
Right.
She, because she's your friend.
Yeah.
But if somebody wanted to do that,
is there agents, agencies that,
that a hundred percent that, okay.
That could help you.
Yes.
So that's kind of what the first step.
Yeah, you have to find the right one's.
Right.
That's the first.
But you were fortunate
you had a friend there.
You're very lucky.
That's great.
Yeah.
And she did some of the
legwork for you, right?
Yeah.
Before you went to China?
Yeah.
She made a few appointments Okay.
To different, um, factories.
So the first trip I, I traveled
two times to China in 2024.
Um, so that, that was the, the, the, in
the first trip we go to make different
appointments to different, uh, factories.
So what were you looking for?
Like I And you have a vision
of what your brand and, and
the collection that you want.
Yeah.
When you went there, what
were you looking for?
For the paddle players, we have a move.
It's made by player for players,
so we are players first.
Um, but you say, I, I born in this
sport, so when I, when I start
playing, I, I came from tennis also.
It's very similar.
Mm-hmm.
So, um, I know the, the, the weakness
and, and, and all the time I try to fit.
To, to wear the, the
clothes fit the fine good.
Um, if the fabric is fresh, uh, if I
feel comfortable, uh, wearing this.
So that was our, our first,
uh, vision of the brand.
You have a good, great
vision of the brand.
Thank you.
Because just that shirt
alone is beautiful.
Fits well.
Thank you so much.
I've seen some of your collection and
you have that vision of what you're
looking for and what looks good.
You know what I'm saying?
That that also was, was a
hundred percent work of my wife.
Okay.
She, she has the perfect eye
for, for okay, for the fabrics
and, and all and everything.
Let me, I can tell you that, that, uh,
from last year collection to this year,
you see the upgrade on, on, on the
finish and the quality of the clothing.
Thank you.
And let me ask you, going
back to what you were saying.
So you go to China, uh, you decide, okay,
now how many SKUs, how many products?
I'm gonna be looking No, just
t-shirts, polo shirts, whatever.
I mean.
Because you're limited time.
So it says you are with your mind
going to a factory and say, okay,
I need this, this, this, and that.
So, so how many products is that?
And, and adding to that question is what
can you tell the viewers things to avoid?
Because sometimes you'll go there and
like, this is great, and then obvious.
Then you find something else, and then
like you have too many skews and, and
you're like, what do I do with this?
Talk to our viewers how
to avoid those situations.
Well, that's the, the, the.
That's the best.
Um, sorry.
That's the most difficult
to, to get there.
Decision, yeah.
Decision to how many products
I'm going to have in my
collections, which, which colors?
Uh, I'm going to, I don't
know, to add, uh, polos or only
t-shirts, like in b like circle.
Um, so that's, that's the most difficult.
Uh, we have around right
now around 200 SKUs.
Um, wow.
With different colors, a lot.
Yes.
It's around.
That's including bags and
everything else, or just everything.
Okay.
Yeah, everything.
It's a lot.
Yeah.
Two 20, around two 20.
Um, but that's the most difficult.
Um, also, we, we have this agent
in China, so she help us to have
very low MOQ with the factories.
Oh, that's good.
So that's, that's another,
another different, uh, business.
That's good because when you go
to China and someone wants to go
to China next week and say, oh, I
have my engine, I have everything.
But when you watch you, you go
to, to the factories to talk
with the, with the suppliers.
She say, okay, yeah, you want this.
With color blue or a thousand MOQ, let
say I can't afford 1000 pieces in only
one color and one size or many, many size.
No, you can, you can switch size.
Okay.
But it's 1,800 pieces for each color.
So if I want, so means for the viewers
is minimal order quantities, right?
Yeah, exactly.
So, and, and let's say I don't know
anything and I want to create my
puddle brand clothing, whatever.
You said something very in the
beginning, the Cantonese, uh, fair.
Yeah.
What, what is that sort of like, uh,
where everybody, all the provi Yeah,
all the suppliers come together.
Exactly.
It's the biggest fair in China.
You have like, I don't know, it's
80 or 90 years, it's whole year.
You have different, um, different,
uh, brands, not only for active wear.
So if you want to make.
Outdoor clothes or I don't know,
if you want to make, um, furniture,
whatever you, you, you can go.
Okay.
It's a multi-product.
Multi-product.
And how do you, how do you, so now
you've seen a hundred suppliers.
How do you decide?
Can this one No.
When I, when I be there in November, the
last year, uh, I saw around 5,000 stores.
Wow.
With 5,000 different suppliers.
Wow.
Only three or four days.
So how do you decide, okay, I'm gonna
stick with this one and go with this one?
Um, at the beginning, when, when I start
to order samples, I know the fabric
and what I want, what I, we specific
fabric that we want, just quality.
We, we work the quality, we, we
check the, all the, all the finish,
the details, bottoms, everything.
So in China you have so many different,
uh, factories, fabrics, and, and that.
So my focus on this was.
Wh which, which fabric I want
with a specification, and then I
choose 2, 3, 5 different colors.
No more than that.
So how do, how do you explain that?
Because, you know, I, I could say I
like this fabric, but how do you explain
it to somebody without showing them?
Right.
I mean, it's like, is there a name?
Is there, I mean, yeah,
you have different names.
Okay.
So you get to learn that, right?
Yeah.
We were right now with il.
With spandex, uh, very, very
low percentage of the, of
the clothes with polyester.
Okay.
Um, but yeah, a hundred percent
is poly eth and, and spandex.
It's, it's completely different level.
Also, we, we can, you can mix
spandex, poly, and cotton.
Um, you can switch that, but our focus
is in that because when, when you.
F wear the, the clothes and, and
you feel that this is so fresh.
Yeah.
You don't, you don't lose like, uh,
small details in the, in the bottom.
Um, but yeah, that was, and, and
so, and, and you, you work what?
Uh, you work in a process that a year in
advance, meaning on 2025 I'm coming out.
And how many collections you do a year?
You do winter?
Yes.
Spring, summer.
Right now we are making only two.
Um, so summer and winter.
Yeah, exactly.
And we have like a, uh, like a, in
Argentina, say we comedy, it's like,
uh, you, you can use this in summer.
You can use this in winter.
Or, or, okay.
Or you can go to switch because,
um, that's, that's other point
because if you want to have like a
good collection with, um, great SOQ
with more than a hundred products.
You can afford everything, you know, so we
try to, to get, you know, this jacket, you
can use it right now, it's, I don't know
how many degrees, but you can use it in
winter after your game, after your match.
And so we have that.
That's so you're more
vulnerable on, on the option.
Exactly.
Exactly.
And do you, now you're, you're
based in Miami obviously.
Do you focus more on the
summer style or, or you do some
winter, I mean, do you work.
Your products are ex, you know,
do you have any other markets
within the United States?
You go up north, northeast, New York.
I mean, do you have any questions?
Not only that, right now we are
working a lot with different country.
Also.
We have tower I signed, uh, a few weeks
ago in Venezuela Tower in Venezuela.
Okay, nice.
I'm seeing signing this
week also in Ecuador.
So it's completely different market.
It's so, uh, hot over there.
So that is the, the all the
summer collection is going to.
To supplier that.
Okay, so move from here to there.
So now let, let's move
to United States now.
So, and this is the more
exciting part that I like.
Uh, you have rackets.
Yeah, we have racks, we have bags,
accessories, and also, and, and, but
your core business, your core product
initially 36 years ago was rackets.
Yeah.
You started with rackets.
Yeah.
Our focus was in rockets when we start.
But right now here in USA, the
way that I can push my brand
to the next level is with the
apparel and, and with the clothes.
Okay.
My focus in 2025 and 2026 is
bring all my collection of racks.
We have more than 20 in Argentina.
Um, of course we have.
Different materials.
Fiberglass from beginner
with like a soft form inside.
We have right now with fiber, uh, carbon
fiber, three K, 60 K, nine K until 20 4K.
I have, I have racket two, so, so
how many lines of rackets you have
here in the United States right now?
Here we have 12.
12. Yeah.
And it goes from fiberglass week
fiberglass with su foam until
20 4K silver with hard eva.
Yeah.
Okay.
Alright.
Can, can you tell the viewers who are
maybe interested in doing this when
you make the order, what sizes are you
buying Majority of because, you know,
you have to have these different sizes
from extra small to even double x,
uh, how to avoid, uh, different sizes.
You know, sometimes you're ordering Excel
and it's like two XL or it's a large.
What are some of the pitfalls that
you may enter into when you're, when
you're trying to put together an order?
Let me, let me tell you a funny story
because the, when, when you go to
China, all the people in China are
very, very small, very, very small.
So the, the size give guide, um,
it's like, I don't know, like
I'm a real medium, you know?
Yep.
In China, I'm two extra large.
Wow.
Wow.
So you are extra large here.
In China you are, I don't know, five, six.
He for quad Drupal.
He for Excel, no.
Keys.
Four, four X. He's probably 15.
Excel in China.
The same thing.
What you talking about 10 Excel in China.
Yeah.
He's very funny.
He's small and shorts.
Yeah.
That's very, very funny.
So that was another, another
step when when you try to
to, to build your own brand.
Yeah.
You have to take care of everything.
Yeah.
Because maybe you say, Jose,
give me a hundred of large.
And when he came, it's like a small, yeah.
So did that happen to you before?
Of course.
The first saw.
And so what did you do?
You're like, what's happen here?
No.
And also that was one, did they
work with you or you just had
to keep it and deal with it?
Good luck.
She say Good luck.
It's a loss.
Pretty much.
Or you have to mark it as a small
or something that's, that's.
No, was like huge difference because
maybe you, you check that, but it's very
difficult to say, okay, this is a medium.
So the first order maybe here in the
tag it say small, you know, and, and,
and you have to start to, uh, so what,
what's the best thing you ask them for?
Dimensions, chest
dimensions, stuff like that.
So you know, okay, this
is what size it is.
Yeah, exactly.
We made that.
And also all the orders that
I. Still making right now.
I had to say, check the
size, please check the size.
Check the, the measurements.
Uh, check this because it's so difficult
to work with the people in, in, in China.
Different culture.
Different culture, completely
different culture and size.
And, and sometimes maybe you
order, I don't know, like, uh,
a hundred of this in medium.
And she didn't have a
hundred, she have 98.
So she give you two more
in large and say, why?
Because you order, I don't know.
I order 200.
Total order.
Yeah.
And I say a hundred
medium, a hundred large.
Right.
And she didn't have a hundred
medium, and she sent me.
102 large say, why you do that?
Tell me.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
That's, that's very difficult to
work with, with suppliers like that.
And that's the goal.
But you need, you need completely,
if you want to make your own brand
in, in China, you complete, you need
the agent because it's so difficult.
The first time when I, when I be
there, um, 95% of the, of the people
in China didn't speak English, didn't
speak other language than Chinese.
So if you, if you go, if you want
to go to the factories to talk
with suppliers, you need a agent.
So an agent, do they just charge you flat
fee or do they charge you percentage?
Do they charge the people warehouse?
How does that work?
How does that.
Form into the fees of, of what you
have different, different actions.
Sometimes she charge you, I don't know how
many or how many pieces you want to order.
I don't know if you want
to make 5,000 pieces.
Maybe she say, okay, I charge
you 20 cents per piece.
Okay.
Or I can charge you a flat
rate of, I don't know.
A thousand dollars a month and
you can do whatever you want.
You have to talk with the agent.
Okay.
Um, and depends also which area
in China you are going to work.
Because active wear Enclos is in
one cell, it's in only one city.
You have like a, I don't know,
thousand and thousand of,
of factories of active wear.
But if you go to Jenen, maybe
it's, everything is technology.
So if you want to retail.
Whatever.
And how about the logistics?
Do they take care of that, bring
here shipping it here, or is
that something you have to do?
Everything she, she order to the
factories she sent to her own warehouse.
She brings all the logo that we
have, all the machines over there.
Your agent or the person?
Yeah, my agent.
So is that the
responsibility of the agent?
Yeah, exactly.
Oh, okay.
For, for our, for our, for our brand.
Gotcha.
But maybe when another
agent, sometimes it.
Sometimes when, when you make the
order for the, for the supplier, the
agents make the, the, the control
of the quantities, if everything is
okay, if the bags is, is, is fine.
So that's, that's the what you had
to talk with your agent and say,
can you make this, can you gimme,
can you make all the, these labels?
Can you make all these bags?
You had to talk with the agent and, and
another question, which, uh, we did it
at, at ultra white label for rockets.
Yeah.
We made, let's talk about that because a
hundred percent clubs are very important.
Looking for that.
Yeah.
The only MOQ is 50 pieces.
Okay.
Um, and different, uh, materials.
We almost all the, all the clubs
here in u in USA try to, to get
the rental rackets because when.
Uh, that's the, the first step
when, when you want to, to
order the sell and the vertical.
Yeah, exactly.
And, and it's the cheapest
one also, but yeah.
We, we can make four, four clubs.
So you make the record exactly with the
colors and the logo, whatever you want.
We can put it.
And how much?
Yeah, I can show you right now.
We can send you pictures
with, with different models.
And, and, and how much would
that be, uh, per piece?
It's a 50 50 minimum.
But how much would that
be per piece for a club?
Uh, for club around 80, 85, 90, $90?
We had to check the, depends of course,
the, the material that you want.
Of course the cheapest one
is around, around that.
Yeah.
So that all have to do is rent.
It depends on the shipping also.
Yeah.
Because we ship everything from,
so all they have to do is rent
it nine times and that's it.
After that.
That's it.
They're making money.
$10 a rental and you're, you paid
off two weeks and you have money back
two weeks and you're making Yeah.
Interesting.
Exactly.
And also we have like a resource.
Because all the people that he take
the racket from rental is beginner.
Yeah.
So we try to make more hard the racket.
So if you hit more durable, hit the wall.
Yeah.
More durable.
Yes.
More durable.
Okay.
Good.
Okay.
Uh, haw.
Thank you for coming on the show Wish.
Thank wish all the luck.
You, you're gonna thank you so much.
Reach those, those stars.
For sure.
Okay.
Thank you.
Thank you so much guys.
Thank you.
Thank you.