Name shop: Signature BMX
Location: Vantaa, Finland
Years in business: 13 years on January
Employees: 2, Mikko Suni full-time, Antti Huotari part-time.
Did you ever go to school to learn how to run a (BMX) business or did you just 'send it'?
Signature BMX: We just sent it and still are sending it. We first thought of having a clothing brand and started selling some bmx bike parts to cover the cost of clothing side. Sales started to pick up before we even had much of a clothing available. Just some shirts under the name of Signature. That’s pretty much what ever happened on that side. We focused on selling bike stuff. It was just a mail order/webshop at first. We pretty much ran it from our home. Our real warehouse/shop/distro came to life after a couple of years. So I guess we’re still learning day by day something new.
Were your BMX industry contacts already made before you started your shop, or did you meet more people along the way?
Signature BMX: I knew Niels Thanild and Joe Rich and a few others before the business came along. I went to Interbike the next year as we started and made a lot of contacts there.
Vans BMX Pro Cup Malaga Finals 2018 by Antti Huotari for FATBMX
Vans BMX Pro Cup Malaga Semifinals 2018 by Antti Huotari for FATBMX.
Chill practice at the Ruben Alcantara Park in Malaga, the boat trip and the Vans store visit with the crew.
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.