Aleksander Żur

Owner & Chief Operating Officer (COO) @ Tapi-1 Aleksander Żur

About

Owner of Tapi footwear manufacturing company - 3rd generation (grandpa started shoemaking in 1946). Combining traditional European craftsmanship with advanced automation (cobots, 3D knitting, template sewing, digital cutting). OUR SWEET SPOT: Brands looking to produce 5,000-15,000 pairs annually in Europe that need: - Flexible production (weekly/monthly batches vs. container orders) - Fast development (7-14 day samples, 2-3 week production) - Ground-up development (lasts, outsoles, uppers) or white-label manufacturing - Construction expertise: waterproof, board-lasted, Strobel, 3D knitted, stitch-down, moccasin, string-lasted, hybrid constructions SPECIALIZATION: Men's and unisex footwear - dress shoes, sneakers, trekking boots | Size range: EU 36-51 WE ALSO WORK WITH: - Test production for larger brands (500-2,000 pairs before mass production) - R&D projects: 3D printing, parametric design, experimental constructions - Mass production programs up to 50,000 pairs annually CERTIFICATIONS: ISO 9001, AQAP 2110 (NATO quality assurance) | 0.096% warranty claims CURRENT CLIENTS: Mass customization programs (744 SKUs, weekly delivery), outdoor retailers, footwear wholesalers, DTC brands testing European production. I write about footwear production automation, flexible manufacturing economics, and implementing Industry 4.0 in mid-batch production - sharing what works, what fails, and what costs too much. Full capabilities: b2b.tapinero.eu Direct contact: aleksander.zur@tapi.com.pl

Country

Poland

City

Jordanów

Industry

Apparel & Fashion

Skill

Rapid Prototyping, Supply Chain Optimization, Cost Reduction, B2B Manufacturing, Lean Manufacturing, Footwear Manufacturing, Rhino 3D & Grasshopper, Prototyping & Product Development, 3D Knitting for Footwear, Innovation Management, Quality Management Systems (ISO 9001, AQAP 2110)

Experience

Owner & Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Tapi-1 Aleksander Żur

2017-1 - Present · 9 yrs 9 mos

Jordanów, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland

Leading operations and spearheading technological innovation at Tapi, a family-owned B2B footwear manufacturer specializing in complex, high-quality men's and unisex shoes. Involved in the family business "almost forever," formally taking ownership in 2017. * Driving the integration of advanced manufacturing technologies including Santoni 3D knitting, Universal Robots cobots, IIoT (Node-RED, Docker, IO-Link), and 3D printing for R&D. * Overseeing the entire production process, ensuring quality, efficiency, and flexibility across 8 assembly systems. Certified to ISO 9001 and AQAP 2110 (NATO requirements). * Developing and implementing strategies for operational excellence, lean manufacturing principles, and continuous improvement. * Collaborating directly with footwear brands on challenging R&D projects, rapid prototyping, and agile production runs (low MOQ). * Fostering a culture of innovation grounded in deep technical understanding ("first principles") within an experienced team.