JECKO beyond Seats

It is more difficult to start a business in the sector if you have not been a part of it from an early age, and no sport better than karting among motorsports disciplines conquers you when you are still a child. Andrea Piazza and Filippo Cleva, founders of JECKO, an up-and-coming karting brand at the international level, are no exception to the rule: Andrea grew up in the world of karting and racing, starting to follow his brother in karting competitions at just 10 years old until he became his mechanic first and then founded a small Team. Filippo, on the other hand, actually raced karts, starting with the Mini, with fair results. The fatal encounter between the two makes Andrea the mechanic of Filippo: these are the years of the track, of the races, of the nights spent thinking how to improve even by a few tenths, those that to anyone who has experienced them remain inside.

The second half of the story is yet to be written: years after they stopped racing, Filippo and Andrea meet again. It is around the same time,  2015, that the two run into a well-known and respected technician from Pordenone, their hometown , a world-class expert in the knowledge of composite materials, particularly their use in making helmets for Formula One, almost by chance. His technical contribution gives Andrea and Filippo's ideas a shape that at first seems like a dream, but slowly materializes by means of handcrafted machines and from the impetus to the creation of the first prototypes. The seats that Filippo and Andrea have in mind are strong, durable, but they are something different from what has always been seen...

THE COMPANY
In the composite materials industry, the manual part is always present because it cannot be replaced in any way by machines and robots, which is why the two divisions in the company remain quite distinct:
Manual work - each product is unique, created manually by precise and experienced hands. The 'craftsmen' in Jecko are highly specialized, they have many moments of training and study of the product behind them, each person has a role in the workmanship and has specialized in that specific part of the production so they can also control the quality.

Automated work - in recent years a lot has been invested in the latest generation of intelligent machinery, interconnected by specialized software. The focus is constantly on researching new technologies to improve processes that can still be automated so as to make the company more and more competitive, giving timely and quality service to its customers. Continuous studies and investments in technology have enabled the company to reach a production goal in 2022 of 10,000 seats, with the goal of growing further in the next five years, keeping the increase in register numbers so far constant.
Although the production sector is critical, the company always keeps an eye on the environment, trying to find sustainability for the environment in technological innovation as well.

PRODUCTS
All products are made in Italy and produced in-house.
Seat - this is the company's flagship item, which has undergone intensive study, prototyping and track testing before being put on the market.
«The seat that is currently used in our opinion has now become an object "too far" from the standards of the modern kart," they explain in Jecko, "we believe that it is one of the fields that has undergone fewer changes over the years, while karts have become faster and more modern. Therefore, initially, the study of our seat was done by taking the single-seater seat as a reference.»
Experience led us to dwell on three fundamental aspects: comfort, lightness and proper flexibility.

Floorplate - some factories initially asked us to be able to study a new type of floorplate different from the one used in metal material, this allowed us to study a new product in composite material with technical characteristics highly appreciated by companies such as weight, flexibility and durability. A platform that has now been included as original equipment on their karts.

Rib guards - Jecko also thought about protection for drivers, the JRIB project has given us a lot of experience in these years of production and sales, testing the product also together with Lorenzo Travisanutto, giving us countless satisfactions.
The FIA in 2018 introduced new regulations for international competitions by including the homologation of the Chest and Rib Protector. We have thus begun a very challenging path of study and testing that will allow us to come out on the market at the beginning of 2023 with the new JK1, a product on which the company is counting a lot as it will have innovative features compared to the current market and with which we aim to achieve excellent results.

THE YEAR TO COME
Also planned, in addition to the launch of the FIA homologated Chest and Rib Protector: "The world of karting is a world that is constantly evolving and needs cutting-edge products, which is why Jecko has decided to be more and more present on the track with its Track Service, to follow drivers, to listen to their needs and to be able to be increasingly more supportive. Jecko is keen to evolve with the spirit of field testing the real needs of the teams, drivers and customers who choose our brand."

FIA KARTING TITLES WON
- 2022/19/18/17 CIK-FIA OK World Championship
- 2022/21/20/19/18 CIK-FIA OK European Championship
- 2022/20 CIK-FIA OKJ European Championship
- 2022 CIK-FIA KZ European Championship

https://www.jeckoracing.com/