1,000 PRO AQUA-Branded Water Trampolines: A Finnish OEM Case

A 600-Unit Order at a Critical Turning Point

In late 2012, QIQU was facing one of the most difficult periods in its early history. Our Shanghai workshop covered just over 400 m² (approximately 4,306 ft²), with a team of around ten workers. Business had become so difficult that we were already calculating employee settlements and preparing to close the factory.

At that moment, an opportunity came from Finland.

The buyer's previous supplier had gone bankrupt due to financial difficulties. Through a recommendation from employees of that supplier, the buyer's representative in China learned about QIQU and contacted us.

Before placing an order, the representative visited our factory to inspect our manufacturing facilities and evaluate product samples. After the factory visit and sample inspection, the buyer decided to work with us.

In late December 2012, we received our first order: 600 inflatable water trampolines, valued at approximately US$150,000.

For a small factory that was preparing to shut down, this was far more than an ordinary purchase order. It gave us the opportunity to continue operating and keep our team together.

We have never forgotten that beginning.

Developing 600 PRO AQUA-Branded Water Trampolines

The project was based on an established water trampoline design selected after sample inspection. The buyer specified the product dimensions, appearance, colors and branding requirements. Our responsibility was to manufacture the products consistently according to the approved specifications.

Each trampoline featured a 3 m (9.84 ft) diameter and a height of 0.65 m (2.13 ft), with a twelve-sided outer profile.

The product configuration included:

• Blue inflatable outer tube made from 0.9 mm Sijia commercial PVC tarpaulin

• Dedicated black trampoline jumping mesh

• Elastic-cord mesh attachment structure

• Heat-welded PVC reinforcement around the mesh connection

• PVC-webbing boarding ladder

• Six grab handles for handling and gripping

• One 500W electric inflation pump with a European-standard plug

The products were manufactured under the buyer's private-label requirements. The PRO AQUA logo was printed on the black jumping mesh, and the same branding was applied to the individual product cartons.

Each water trampoline was packed in its own carton, with consistent product specifications and packaging throughout the project.

This was a standardized OEM manufacturing order rather than a one-off experimental product. Maintaining the same specifications across hundreds of units was essential to the production process.

A Manufacturing Detail That Changed Our Approach

One important detail from this project stayed with us long after production was completed.

The trampoline mesh was secured using elastic cords, with a PVC cover protecting the connection area. At that time, we had previously used adhesive for this application.

However, the buyer specifically required a heat-welded connection rather than relying on glue.

We followed this requirement and adopted heat welding for the PVC reinforcement around the mesh connection. The result was a more consistent manufacturing approach, without the problems associated with adhesive application, such as unwanted glue spreading or bonding deterioration.

After this project, we gradually phased out the adhesive method for this application.

Today, heat-welded construction remains an important part of how we manufacture our inflatable water trampolines.

This is one reason we value long-term manufacturing experience. Improvements do not always come from developing an entirely new product. Sometimes, a specific requirement from a customer helps us improve a process that becomes part of our standard production practice.

100% Inspection by the Buyer's Representative

For an order of this size, consistent quality across every unit was essential.

The buyer arranged for its representative in China to visit our factory and personally inspect the products. This was not simply a random sampling inspection.

Every water trampoline was inflated and checked individually before packing.

The inspection covered the main product specifications and components, including:

• PVC tarpaulin thickness and material quality

• Product dimensions and overall appearance

• Trampoline mesh thickness and condition

• Mesh attachment and reinforced connection areas

• PVC mesh cover and heat-welded seams

• Boarding ladder and grab handles

• Inflation pump operation

• Air retention and overall inflation condition

Our production team completed the required checks and prepared the products for packing after the representative's inspection.

The representative verbally expressed satisfaction with the products. Once the inspection was completed, we packed the units according to the buyer's requirements.

For us, this project was an important early experience in handling large-volume private-label orders with customer-supervised quality control.

From the First 600 Units to a Repeat Order of 400

The first order was signed in late December 2012. Production began in January 2013 and took approximately 30 days.

The first 600 units were dispatched in early February 2013 to the buyer's designated warehouse in Shanghai.

Several months later, in August 2013, the buyer placed another order for 400 additional water trampolines.

The second batch followed the same specifications, appearance, materials and PRO AQUA branding as the first order. This consistency allowed us to continue production using an established manufacturing process.

With the production experience gained from the first batch, we completed the second order in approximately 20 days and dispatched it in September 2013.

The project can be summarized as follows:

Total production: 1,000 water trampolines across two separate orders.

Both batches were delivered to the buyer's designated warehouse in Shanghai under the agreed EXW arrangement. Our responsibility was to complete manufacturing and deliver the products to that location. The buyer's side handled the subsequent transportation arrangements.

The 400-unit repeat order in August 2013 marked another important milestone in this early cooperation.

From a Small Shanghai Workshop to Today's Manufacturing Facility

When we look back at this project, we remember more than the production quantity.

In 2012, QIQU was operating from a rented workshop of just over 400 m² (approximately 4,306 ft²), with around ten workers. We were preparing to close the factory when this Finnish order arrived.

Over the following years, we continued developing our manufacturing capabilities and expanding our product range.

In late 2022, QIQU moved from Shanghai to its own 8,500 m² (approximately 91,493 ft²) manufacturing facility in Siyang, Jiangsu, China.

Our current production capabilities cover inflatable products, PE rotomolding, product design, manufacturing and quality inspection.

The scale of our factory has changed considerably, but the importance we place on customer requirements, manufacturing consistency and product quality remains the same.

You can also read more about our company's development and manufacturing background in About QIQU: Engineering, Truth and Amusement Systems.

A Project We Have Never Forgotten

We do not know exactly why the cooperation did not continue with further orders after the two purchases in 2012 and 2013. We also do not want to make assumptions about how the products performed in the buyer's market after delivery.

What we do know is that this customer gave our small factory an important opportunity at a critical moment.

The first 600-unit order allowed us to continue operating. The additional 400 units the following year gave us another opportunity to work together.

Today, the PRO AQUA project remains one of the most meaningful chapters in QIQU's early manufacturing history.

We are grateful to the buyer and its representative in China for the trust they placed in our factory more than a decade ago.

For us, this project is also a reminder of what OEM manufacturing really means: understanding the buyer's specifications, maintaining consistency across large production quantities, accepting inspection and improving manufacturing processes through real customer requirements.

If you are looking for a manufacturer for custom commercial inflatable water trampolines, QIQU supports custom dimensions, colors, private-label branding and bulk OEM production.

Explore our Custom Commercial Inflatable Water Trampolines to learn more about our product and manufacturing capabilities.