Zund technology for finest cutting quality

Established in 2008 in Cornwall, The Tuning Shop is a small family run business specialising in automotive interior products such as gear/handbrake gaiters, seat belt pads, armrest covers and gear knobs made from natural leather, alcantara, suede and other materials.

The company was founded by Gregor Radzik, a self-proclaimed petrolhead who always wanted to work within the automotive industry. Having started his company with the support of his wife from their residential home 12 years ago, the business has now evolved to a dedicated production site in Cornwall that employs 10 people. Gregor explains “Originally we started as a reseller of interior products, then we decided in order to move the business forward and to be able to meet customer expectations, we needed to start manufacturing these products ourselves. This led to the decision to invest in our business with a range of the industrial sewing machines, embroidery machines and 3D printers. Over the years this allowed us to extend our range of products and offer bespoke, customised one-off projects too”.

As the business evolved and streamlined, it was important for The Tuning Shop to make their production process more efficient and optimise on the usage of expensive materials such as leather. To achieve this, new technology was required within the production process, Gregor explains “We couldn’t possibly achieve this without new technology investment. As a business, we are driven by a passion towards the automotive industry and we strive in being the best company in our sector. We love to make our products and we always want them to be manufactured to the highest standard. Also, our customers expect to receive their orders as quickly as possible, hence we needed a solution that would speed up our production process and give us even better product quality. Our choice could be only one, to invest in the Zund cutter.”

Gregor came across Zund cutters back in 2017 at an International Leather Fair in Milan, Italy. Having watched a presentation and live demonstration, Gregor was impressed by the Zund’s technical capabilities. Reflecting back Gregor said, “After we watched a presentation of the cutter, we knew the Zund would be a perfect addition to our business, but it took over three years before we could fulfil our company dream”. The Tuning Shop purchased their L3 C-56 Zünd Digital Cutter in July 2020 and were so confident with their choice of cutter they didn’t even request a product demonstration.

Gregor said “Since we purchased our Zund cutter, the company processes have been transformed completely. We can now cut all our orders quicker and much more accurately which has massively helped with our production output. Our cutter is equipped with a sophisticated nesting software called Mind from Zund, which has made a significant impact on the amount of materials we use for production. We are now more efficient and environmentally friendly thanks to the Zund technology.”

The purchase of the Zund cutter has also opened new business opportunities for The Tuning Shop. The company is now offering customised upholstery for cars, vans and boats and the results are very promising.

Reflecting back on his Zund cutter purchase, Gregor said “Our overall experience with the team at Zund has been very positive. From first contacting Zund, through to the ordering process, site visits and making sure that the machine can fit into a dedicated room, installation, training and aftersale service, we have received a very professional and efficient service from everyone at Zund and they were a pleasure to deal with. The experience was second to none and we know that we have got the best cutter for our business”.

Gregor added “Just knowing that a small company like ourselves use the same equipment and technology has the big automotive manufacturers like Bentley is something to be so proud of for me. It goes to show if you have the ambition to one day become one of the best in the industry and work very hard, you can purchase the best technology too. The team at Zund have definitely helped me fulfil my dream."