China · Japan · South Korea · Wider Asia

Capabilities

How we support projects

From a drawing to a delivered object.

SALT coordinates the development, production and execution of physical work in China and across Asia. We work with specialist suppliers and factories rather than owning them — what we bring is the judgement about which route a project needs, and the management to hold it there.

01 How a brief is reviewed

Before anything is quoted

Send what you have.

A brief rarely arrives complete. The review exists to find what is missing early, while it is still cheap to resolve.

  1. 01

    What arrives

    A brief, drawings, CAD, reference images, a sample, or sometimes a photograph and a deadline. All of it is workable.

  2. 02

    What we check

    Whether it can be built as drawn, which production routes are open, what is missing, and what would change the cost or the timeline.

  3. 03

    What comes back

    A written response covering the production approach, the questions that need answers, and the stages we would recommend.

  4. 04

    What happens next

    Sampling, tooling or fabrication, with review stages agreed in advance so approvals happen against physical output.

02 Capabilities in detail

01

Sourcing & Supplier Coordination

We identify and coordinate the specialist suppliers and factories a project genuinely needs, then manage them as a single line of communication. SALT does not own the production facilities it works with; the value is in knowing which partner suits which job, and in holding them to one specification.

What this covers

  • Matching a brief to appropriate production routes
  • Supplier identification and assessment
  • Consolidating multiple suppliers under one point of contact
  • Managing revisions across everyone involved
  • Keeping commercial and technical conversations aligned

When we come in

Usually at the point where a design is settled enough to be costed, but before a supplier has been committed to.

02

Product Development

Taking a brief, sketch, drawing or reference towards something that can actually be built. This is mostly a conversation between what the design intends and what production allows — construction, materials, finish and assembly resolved alongside the people who will make it.

What this covers

  • Reviewing drawings, CAD and references for buildability
  • Proposing construction and material approaches
  • Resolving finish, assembly and tolerance questions with suppliers
  • Documenting the agreed specification
  • Revising as commercial or technical constraints emerge

When we come in

Early — often while the design is still being resolved, which is when production input costs the least to act on.

03

Prototyping & Sampling

Physical samples and prototypes so decisions are made against an object rather than a render. Sampling is where most misunderstandings surface, which is why we would rather run a round more than one fewer.

What this covers

  • First samples and appearance models
  • Functional prototypes where the design requires them
  • Structured review rounds with recorded comments
  • Revisions against agreed feedback
  • A signed-off reference sample to produce against

When we come in

Once the specification is agreed and before tooling or production is committed.

04

Tooling & Mold Development

Coordinating tool and mold development with the appropriate partners, through defined review stages. Tooling is the point where a project becomes expensive to change, so the stages before it exist to make sure it does not need to.

What this covers

  • Assessing whether tooling is the right route
  • Coordinating tool specification with the tooling partner
  • Managing trial stages and sample output from the tool
  • Recording revisions and re-trials
  • Confirming the tool is ready before production begins

When we come in

After a prototype has been approved and the design is frozen.

05

Fabrication & Production

Custom fabrication and production runs managed against the approved sample. Progress is reported while work is moving through the floor rather than summarised once it is finished.

What this covers

  • Custom and one-off fabrication
  • Production runs against an approved reference
  • Coordination across multiple suppliers on one project
  • Progress reporting during the run
  • Raising and resolving issues while they are still fixable

When we come in

On approval of the sample, tool or build prototype.

06

Packaging

Retail, transit and presentation packaging developed alongside the product rather than added at the end, so that what arrives is protected, correct and ready to use.

What this covers

  • Retail and presentation packaging development
  • Transit and protective packing for international freight
  • Packing methods matched to the delivery route
  • Labelling and carton marking
  • Packing samples reviewed before the run

When we come in

Alongside product development, not after production has finished.

07

Quality Coordination

Checks made against the approved reference sample, at the stages where a problem can still be corrected. We coordinate inspection with the supplier and report what we find, including when the finding is inconvenient.

What this covers

  • Agreeing what will be checked, and against what reference
  • In-progress checks during the production run
  • Pre-shipment review before goods are packed
  • Documented findings shared with the client
  • Managing rework where it is required

When we come in

Defined at the same time as the specification, so the standard is agreed before anything is made.

08

International Delivery

Consolidation, documentation and freight coordination for delivery to Europe and other international destinations. We have produced in China and delivered completed work to Europe, and the coordination is planned around the destination and the deadline.

What this covers

  • Consolidating output from multiple suppliers
  • Export documentation coordination
  • Air, sea and courier routing options
  • Delivery scheduling against a project deadline
  • Coordination with the receiving party at destination

When we come in

Planned during production, so packing and paperwork are not a last-minute problem.

09

China Execution

On-the-ground execution for brand and event projects in China — the part of the work where someone has to physically be there. This is where the team started, and it remains the base of operations.

What this covers

  • Build and installation coordination
  • On-site supervision during install and derig
  • Local supplier and crew coordination
  • Managing changes on site as they arise
  • Reporting back to an overseas team in their working hours

When we come in

From production planning through to install, or brought in for execution alone.

10

Japan & South Korea Execution

The team has supported projects in Japan and South Korea, coordinated from China with local partners. Each market is approached on its own terms rather than treated as an extension of the Chinese one.

What this covers

  • Project coordination with local partners in-market
  • Production in China with execution in-market where that suits the project
  • Adapting a build to local site and venue requirements
  • Consolidated reporting back to the client or agency

When we come in

At planning stage, so the differences between markets are priced and scheduled rather than discovered.

11

Wider Asia Coordination

Coordination beyond China, Japan and South Korea is considered project by project. Where we have not worked in a market before, we say so, and we scope what would be required rather than implying an established presence.

What this covers

  • Assessing what a market genuinely requires for a given project
  • Identifying local partners where they are needed
  • Coordinating production in China against delivery elsewhere in Asia
  • An honest answer when a project is better served by someone else

When we come in

At enquiry stage, so the scope is realistic before commitments are made.

12

Market Validation & Premium Consumer Access

Helping international premium brands understand how their product, positioning and pricing are received by affluent Chinese consumers before a full market launch. The method is the one we already use for brand experiences — a controlled, well-made environment in front of the right people — turned towards answering a commercial question rather than staging a moment.

What this covers

  • Defining the consumer profile a validation should actually address
  • Curated consumer access through direct relationships and established partnerships
  • Private product experiences built for genuine evaluation, not display
  • Structured feedback on demand, pricing, positioning and competitive comparison
  • A written recommendation: proceed, adjust, or wait

When we come in

Before a distributor, retail rollout, marketing budget or local team is committed to.

Learn more

03 Scope

Stated plainly

What we do not claim.

SALT does not own the factories it works with, and does not present itself as a single production facility. Machinery, materials, tolerances, certifications, production volumes and lead times are confirmed against the specific supplier and the specific project — never quoted in advance as a general capability.

Where a project falls outside what we can genuinely support, we say so at enquiry stage.

04 Next step

Have a drawing, a sample or a deadline?

Send what you have. We will come back on the production approach, the open questions and the stages we would recommend.

Discuss an Opportunity

Useful to include

  • Company or website
  • Objective or brief
  • Target market
  • Ideal client profile
  • Target timeline
  • Delivery destination, if relevant