Wednesday the 18th of January 2006 saw the opening of a new and very special shop in Oulu. Shelby Oy (osakeyhtiö = corporation ) opened its doors for customers in Tuira. The shop provides high quality fabrics, materials and patterns for outdoor gear. Fans of hiking, climbing, skiing and motor biking will find what they need to make themselves a suitable outfit and accessories. The range of supply includes special materials that are in great demand in Finland. Shelby Oy gains its name from Zach Shelby, who owns the store jointly with  master tailor Birgit Marbach and Heikki Hautala. Mr. Shelby has a background as a company owner, but this is his first shop. He gained his first business experience in his home country, USA, and since 2002 with a company registered under his name in Finland. In 2003, he opened a web-store that is extremely successful and has around 1000 world wide customers.

The biggest customer groups come from Finland, Sweden, Germany and the United Kingdom. This is not surprising when thinking that in these countries hobbies such as hiking and skiing are popular. The materials for the shop are ordered directly from the manufacturers and every single item is tested. All models designed by Mr. Shelby are also tested by Finnish scouts or hikers. The testing not only makes sure that the customers get the perfect material, but it also gives the owners of Shelby Oy the opportunity to advise their customers on choosing the right material for their purpose. Especially newcomers may have questions concerning the right gear for their hobby and find it helpful to have guidance from experts.

Zach Shelby started to design outdoor clothes during his time as a student. It was a brilliant idea to share his experience and passion for design for the items he produced with other people of the same interests. He is still in charge of all the designs sold at Shelby Oy and he also makes the business plans and advertising for the company. His partner Birgit Marbach works on the patterns for production together with Zach, and creates the prototypes in her own studio. The co-operation between them started more than a year ago in Oulu. Heikki Hautala is responsible for sales and service, and is therefore in the shop most of the time. He has been working in shops specialized in hobby equipment before. The decision to open a shop was made after a one year thought and development process. When the{ opportunity to rent a good spot came in fall 2005, Zach Shelby did not hesitate. He and his partners are convinced that Oulu needs a shop specialized in outdoor and other extreme gear. Besides selling the fabrics and materials, Shelby Oy offers a complete custom design service including the pattern and garment. The company has the copyright for all its patterns but they are released for home use. The best seller in the web shop is the Abisko Jacket. Customers are also interested in tent material that may be used for making bags and covers for backpacks and cars amongst many other possibilities. Army colours are popular among outdoor fans and hunters. A rather expensive but truly extreme material that is popular at Shelby Oy is Kevlar. It is especially interesting for motorbike riders who use it for trousers and bags.
Zach Shelby and his partners are looking forward to suggestions and ideas from their customers in order to improve their services and supplies. 
Shelby Oy is situated in Tuira close to the city centre. There is a bus stop directly in front of the shop and parking spaces free of charge (two hours with a parking disk) are nearby. The shop window and its sign are easy to spot and catch the attention of potential customers. The shop is open from three to six pm every day except Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday.

For more information see: http://www.shelby.fi
Contact: info(AT)shelby.fi   or birgitmarbach(AT)hotmail.com