ulac profile
ULAC’s beginnings go back to 1982, when ULAC started off as an original equipment manufacturer in Taiwan working with international brands including Master Lock, Panasonic, Giant Bicycles and Assa Abloy. After accumulating experience with locks for over 25 years, the company launched its in-house brand in 2015 under which the silicone locks of the Si Works collection were brought onto the market. The second step was the development of a fingerprint lock release, which brought the brand to the next level. Today, new product concepts are created in-house in the U-Lab in close cooperation with designers and engineers and are produced in the company’s own factory so that they can be tested directly. ULAC has made a name for itself in the cycling industry with the introduction of new technologies such as fingerprint release locks, alarm systems or RFID in bicycle locks, as well as with the award-winning designs of the locks themselves. With the presentation of the TRON fingerprint padlock at the Taipei Cycle Show 2019, the brand achieved international reach for the first time. The distinctive word mark with the two dots above the letter A features on all products and in all crossmedia communication. The brand identity of ULAC is based on the idea of experimenting with the latest technologies when developing the locks, while at the same time playing with colours and shapes.
The message behind this is that ULAC’s locks offer more than just functionality – they are also a way of expressing one’s own individuality. Driven by the guiding principle “A bike lock is not just a bike lock”, the brand positions itself as a lifestyle brand for urban cyclists. Accordingly, the advertising campaigns illustrate how the locks are used by trend-conscious young people in everyday life. This approach is reinforced by the Lonely Riders Cult, a cycling community set up by ULAC under its own logo and which invites cycling enthusiasts to exchange ideas. In addition, the brand also has a strong social media presence and it partners with many international influencers, artists, local bike shops and cycling events to further strengthen the brand’s image in the cycling community
Purpose Built
Ulac utilizes its own in-house engineers and designers to elaborate new concepts and put them in real practice via our own factory. This way we can rapidly test the viability of the products and keep it to the core functionality.
AWARDS / RECOGNITION
From Spark, Good Design to iF, as well as the Taipei Cycle Show, ULAC has been rewarded for introducing new design and technology to the cycling community. Furthermore, in terms of security, ULAC had the privilege to work with Sold Secure (a UK based Security Product Testing & Approval agency) to have some of our locks verified.
In the 2019 Taipei Cycle Show, the TRON Fingerprint Shackle Lock was featured by GCN (Global Cycling Network) This was the first time the brand and the product had an international coverage thanks to its involvement with the community.
In 2020, ULAC has been awarded for Red Dot Design Best Outdoor Brand in Germany.
MILESTONES
1982 ULAC born in Taiwan
1985 Steel braided cable locks enter mass production
1988 SafeGuardTM card locks
1991 Alarm-fitted cable locks
1996 First sponsorships
2000 Collaborations with European, Japanese and North American brands
2002 The idea of Lock as a Lifestyle is born
2005 AlluxTM technology shackle locks become an industry first
2010 Brooklyn: the first complete silicon overmoulded U-lock
2014 Neo Lock expands worldwide
2015 Si Works + Neo Lock + Neo Alarm = ULAC
2017 TRON – XF Fingerprint Frame Lock
2018 TRON – XD Fingerprint Shackle Lock
2019 TRON – XD iF Product Design Award
2020 Red Dot Design Best Outdoor Brand
VISION
As one of the leaders in Taiwanese Bicycle Lock manufacturers, our goal is to keep on experimenting and promoting the latest technologies such as Fingerprint, Alarm, and RFID. Our challenge is to integrate these features without sacrificing the main functions of the hardware.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE RIDING EXPERIENCES
We want to push the concept of “A bike lock is not just a bike lock,” our mission is to alter the perception and stereotype of traditional hardware, which most of the time is reduced to pure functionality. Hence, we began to experiment and play with forms, colors and technologies with one goal in mind: Providing the urban cyclists with the opportunity of expressing a part of their personality while keep it safe!
It is our profound belief that the “bike lock experience” should be as smooth and enjoyable as riding bikes. That’s why we are always working closely with security and engineer experts to develop new opportunities and design strategies in cross-disciplines.