An innovative watersports business has made Cornwall its home, thanks to advice provided by commercial property consultancy Stratton Creber Commercial (SCC).
Commercial agent Joseph Rea, based at SCC’s Truro office, completed the letting of 4 Parc Erissey Industrial Estate in Redruth to K4 Fins, which specialises in the production of injection moulded windsurfing fins.
Owner Steve Thorp and his family have relocated to the county from the Midlands where they lived at the furthest point inland from the sea.
Thorp would use his days off to drive to the coast in search of the best conditions but, if the wind let him down, he would often surf and soon realised the merits of surfing style fins in windsurfing boards.
A civil engineering graduate, he soon saw how he could use his scientific and engineering skills to get the manoeuvrability, speed and looseness of surf fins in windsurfing fins.
He said: “I always wanted to study boat design but was persuaded by a careers advisor to do a Civil Engineering degree. At least there was some fluid dynamics involved. Now I work in injection moulding and tool making so I’ve managed to combine all of these skills and become a windsurf fin designer and manufacturer. Pretty lucky really!”
K4 Fins, named after Thorp’s sail number, specialises in innovative and revolutionary performance wave, freestyle, freeride and freestyle-wave windsurfing fins.