Rémi Chenu Technical Sourcing & Manufacturing
Technical sourcing · Supplier development · Manufacturing management

The right manufacturers, managed all the way to production.

Global sourcing and outsourced manufacturing, in Asia and Europe.

I help companies find reliable manufacturers, develop their suppliers, coordinate cost-effective prototypes and follow outsourced production. An engineer who understands manufacturing, not just purchasing. Fractional, project-based or long-term.

SpecificationRFQSupplier selectionSamplesFirst seriesProduction
Opening an aluminium mould with a moulded carbon front triangle on a workshop bench Carbon front triangle Supplier tooling
Tooling check at a composite supplier · Italy
20+ yearsof industrial purchasing, supplier management and production
Asia + Europesuppliers in China, Italy, Poland and France
10,000bikes sourced and sold in 5 years with CKT Bikes
3 businessesfounded and run: I know the buyer's side of the P&L
Services

I manage your suppliers and your production

I am the technical point of contact between your company and your manufacturers. I coordinate design offices, factories and test labs; I do not sell a full design service.

01 · Global sourcing & supplier development

Find the right manufacturer, not just the lowest quote

  • Factory and process search in Asia and Europe
  • RFQs, quote comparison and cost breakdown
  • Negotiation of prices, tooling, MOQs and lead times
  • Supplier qualification, audits and factory visits
  • Supplier relationship and performance management

My core service: sourcing run by someone who understands the product and how it is made.

02 · Outsourced manufacturing

Production follow-up when you have no team at the factory

  • Production planning and lead-time follow-up
  • Cost, quality and delivery tracking
  • Engineering change management with suppliers
  • First series, ramp-up and quality control coordination
  • Problem solving on the factory floor

For companies that manufacture in Asia or Europe without a local team.

03 · Prototyping & industrialization

Cost-effective prototypes, then a smooth move to series

  • Coordination of CNC machinists, moulders, PCB and 3D-printing suppliers
  • Samples and prototype follow-up
  • Hands-on assembly, adjustment and practical validation
  • Tooling follow-up and process validation
  • Transfer to series production

Build, test and improve before committing to production tooling.

04 · Development coordination

Keep technical choices manufacturable and affordable

  • Follow-up of developments with design offices and manufacturers
  • Review of technical choices, manufacturability and cost
  • Specifications and technical files for suppliers
  • Test and validation follow-up

I steer and contribute technically, as the link between your design team and the factories.

Working together

Your technical and sourcing manager, without a full-time commitment

Not every company needs a full-time sourcing or manufacturing manager. I provide experienced, hands-on supplier and production management, remotely and with factory visits when required.

Fractional · part-time

A few days a week or a month

I manage your suppliers, sourcing projects, prototypes and outsourced production on a recurring basis.

  • Fractional sourcing manager
  • Fractional supplier development manager
  • External manufacturing manager
Project-based

A clearly defined assignment

Scope, deliverables and budget agreed up front.

  • Find and qualify a manufacturer
  • Negotiate a production contract
  • Coordinate a prototype
  • Resolve a supplier or quality issue
Long-term · in-house

Ongoing sourcing or manufacturing management

As an external partner or as an employee, part-time or full-time.

  • Technical sourcing or purchasing manager
  • Supplier development manager
  • Outsourced manufacturing manager
What I source

Electronics, mechanics, composites, finished products

Product families I have sourced and followed in production, from component level to the finished, packaged product.

Electronics

PCB, PCBA, components

Printed circuit boards and assemblies, electronic components, contract manufacturers (EMS), connected devices.

Composites

Carbon parts

Carbon frames, forks and components, moulds and composite processes.

Mechanical

Metal parts

CNC-machined parts, tooling, mechanical sub-assemblies.

Plastics

Moulded parts

Injection-moulded housings and parts, mould follow-up.

Finished goods

Complete products

Complete bicycles, accessories, packaging, private label and white label.

How I work

From specification to delivered goods

  1. Specify

    Your product, target cost, volumes, quality level and deadlines.

  2. Source

    Shortlist of factories, RFQs, cost comparison and negotiation.

  3. Sample

    Prototypes and samples, checks, corrections with the supplier.

  4. Industrialize

    Tooling, process validation, first series.

  5. Follow

    Production, quality, changes and deliveries.

I coordinate the specialists each step needs: design offices, factories, test labs and logistics. You can bring me in for one step or the whole chain.

Selected experience

Suppliers found, products made, goods delivered

CAD model of the HOOT GPS tracker next to part drawings
2019 – 2024Founder · technical & purchasing director

HOOT · Electronic GPS trackers

Connected GPS trackers for bicycles, from the first electronic prototype to series production and international distribution.

  • Electronics supply chain: PCB and PCBA manufacturing, components
  • Suppliers sourced and negotiated in France, Poland and Asia
  • Industrialization and production follow-up
  • White-label products for SCOTT, GIANT and LAZER
Zeen Superlite carbon frame, head tube detail
2025 – 2026Contractor

Zeen Bikes · Sourcing in China

A bicycle range for the online retailer Probikeshop, sourced from Asian manufacturers.

  • Factory search, selection and visits in China
  • Supplier negotiation and component selection
  • Prototype and sample follow-up
  • Industrialization and supply coordination
Aluminium mould for a carbon front triangle with carbon plies in place
2014 – 2018Technical director

Heroin Bikes · Italian composite suppliers

High-end carbon bicycles, handmade in Italy, about a hundred frames a year.

  • Management of Italian composite manufacturers
  • Mould and tooling follow-up
  • Prototypes, industrialization and production
  • Product compliance
Rider on a red and white CKT carbon road bike
2007 – 2013Founder · 12 employees

CKT Bikes · Asian manufacturing at volume

A bicycle company built from scratch: €3M annual revenue, 40% export, 10,000 bikes sold in five years.

  • Frame sourcing and manufacturing in Asia
  • Supplier negotiation and supply management
  • Assembly organized in France
  • Company management and international sales
On the shop floor

I know what happens inside the factory

Technician laying up carbon plies in a frame mould
Carbon layup in the mould
Open industrial autoclave loaded with parts for curing
Autoclave curing
Opening a machined aluminium frame mould
Tooling · frame mould
Transparent CAD view of an integrated stem and headset assembly
Technical file review · CAD
Prototype bicycle frame fitted with strain gauges and wiring for field tests
Prototype validation · strain gauges
Rider testing a bike on a treadmill test rig
Ride testing on a treadmill rig
Portrait of Rémi Chenu
About

Why work with me

An engineer who understands manufacturing, not just purchasing. Mechanical engineer (ESM2 Marseille) with a master's degree in business administration (IAE). For twenty years I have sourced, negotiated and managed suppliers in Asia and Europe for electronic, composite and mechanical products, mostly in companies I founded. I have been on both sides: the buyer who pays the invoice and the manufacturer who has to deliver.

  • Technical credibility with factories
  • Cost, lead time and quality in view
  • Used to remote work with international suppliers
  • Pragmatic, autonomous, at ease in small teams
2025 – 2026Zeen Bikes by Probikeshop · Sourcing and technical direction (contractor)
2019 – 2024HOOT GPS trackers · Founder, technical and purchasing director
2014 – 2018Heroin Bikes by Marc Simoncini · Technical director
2007 – 2013CKT Bikes · Founder, technical and purchasing director

Open to part-time and long-term in-house roles in technical sourcing, electronic or mechanical purchasing, supplier development and outsourced manufacturing, remote or hybrid.

Contact

Tell me about your sourcing or manufacturing challenge

A few lines are enough: the product, the volumes, your current suppliers and where it hurts. I reply with a first assessment and a proposal.

Based in France, working internationally. English and French.

Email
remi [at] remichenu.com
Location
Gap, French Alps · travel to Asia and Europe