OPEN
BBS Manufacturing Alternative · BBS Competitor · 2HEX Skateboard OEM
🔒 BBS Manufacturing states on their own website: “We are not currently taking on any new customers.”

The BBS Alternative
That Is Open,
and Builds More.

If you searched for a BBS alternative, BBS MFG competitor or similar manufacturer to BBS, you know the problem. The door is closed. 2HEX is open, produces the full product line BBS never offered, and ships directly to your door in 20+ countries.

Actively taking on new brands Trusted by The Berrics Decks, Trucks, Wheels, Helmets, Packaging
Get a Free Quote from 2HEX
We respond within 24 hours. The door is open.
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Photo to add here
A confident product shot of a 2HEX complete skateboard with strong custom graphics and matched colourways, on a clean surface with the 2HEX logo. Conveys quality, openness and ambition.
ALT TEXT: “2HEX custom skateboard complete, BBS Manufacturing alternative, open to new brands, German management China production”
2HEX is open to new brand partners. BBS is not. The conversation starts here.
You searched for a BBS alternative, BBS competitor or BBS MFG substitute. You are in exactly the right place.
Confirmed from BBS Manufacturing’s own website

BBS Is Not Taking New Customers.
Here Is What That Means for Your Brand.

BBS Manufacturing produces decks for Baker, Deathwish, Anti-Hero, Real, and Alien Workshop. It is one of the most respected factories in skateboarding. And their FAQ is unambiguous.

“BBS is an OEM manufacturer and does not sell to the public. We are not currently taking on any new customers.”

BBS Manufacturing, FAQ page, bbsmfg.com

If you have been looking at BBS and hit that wall, you are not the problem. BBS is at capacity serving brands that have been with them for years. The question is not why BBS turned you away. The question is what comes next.

Talk to 2HEX, the BBS Alternative That Is Open
The Moment Every Serious Brand Faces
You want the best.
The best won’t take your call.
That is not the end. It is the beginning.

BBS makes the boards that Baker rides. That Anti-Hero rides. That Real has built a reputation on. Wanting the factory behind those brands is not naive. It is a sign that you know what quality means in skateboarding.

But BBS has a waiting room that never moves. Their existing brand relationships are long-term and loyal, their capacity is spoken for, and the closed door is not about your brand. It is about a factory that chose depth over growth a long time ago. The right response to that closed door is not to lower your standards. It is to find the manufacturer that is hungry to build something with you.

2HEX was built by people who understand what it means to want access to world-class manufacturing and face walls. The difference is that 2HEX’s door is open, the product range goes far beyond what BBS ever offered, and the partner relationship grows with you.

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Photo to add here
A dynamic skateboarding action shot or brand-building lifestyle photo. Could show a skateboarder with a custom board, or a brand founder looking at product samples. Conveys momentum and forward motion.
ALT TEXT: “Skateboard brand building with 2HEX manufacturer, BBS alternative, custom complete skateboard production China”
The brands that grow past the BBS waitlist are the ones that find the right open door.
Why Brands Search for a BBS Replacement or Competitor

Three Problems BBS Creates
for Every Brand That Cannot Get In

🚪

BBS Is Closed to New Customers

BBS’s FAQ has been clear for years: not taking new OEM customers. There is no waitlist, no application, no back channel. The brands inside their network have been there a long time. For new and growing brands, BBS is simply unavailable regardless of budget or order size.

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BBS Makes Decks Only. Your Brand Needs More.

Even if BBS opened tomorrow, they produce skateboard decks only. No trucks, no wheels, no helmets, no hardware, no custom packaging. A brand wanting a matched complete or a coherent product line needs a manufacturer that builds beyond wood.

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US Production Has a Cost Floor You Cannot Break

BBS is in San Marcos, California. North American manufacturing costs are what they are. At 300 or more units, the gap between US woodshop pricing and China production with German oversight is enough to materially change your margin structure.

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No Material-Level Customisation

Custom fiberglass layers, carbon fibre in a specific colour, matched wheel urethane, helmets in your colourway, a branded complete kit: BBS was never built for any of this. Their excellence is in one product category. Your brand’s ambition likely extends past it.

BBS Manufacturing Profile and Review
San Marcos, California · Est. 1996 · Not taking new customers

BBS MFG

BBS Manufacturing. Grant Burns. 25+ years. 600+ employees. The factory behind Baker, Deathwish and Anti-Hero.

The honest baseline: BBS Manufacturing is genuinely one of the best skateboard deck factories in existence. Grant Burns founded it in 1996 and built it into a 600-plus employee operation producing for some of the most respected names in skateboarding. The quality is real, the materials sourcing is meticulous, and the reputation is earned. This page is not about BBS being inadequate. It is about BBS being inaccessible, and what comes next.

What Makes BBS Respected

  • The most respected deck factory in core skateboarding: Baker, Deathwish, Anti-Hero, Alien Workshop and Real are among their customers. That list says everything about quality.
  • Premium materials: Hard rock sugar maple sourced from Wisconsin mills, glue specifically formulated for skateboard manufacturing. No compromises.
  • 25+ years of manufacturing excellence: Founded 1996, now 600-plus employees in San Marcos.
  • Fully integrated production: Wood processing, pressing, printing all in-house. Every step from raw veneer to finished deck.
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Photo to add here
A professional photo of skateboard decks or wood veneer stacks, representing premium deck manufacturing quality. Could use imagery from 2HEX production showing comparable quality. Conveys craftsmanship and precision.
ALT TEXT: “Premium skateboard deck manufacturing quality comparable to BBS, 2HEX alternative to BBS Manufacturing, hard maple veneer pressing”

Why BBS Is Not an Option for Your Brand Right Now

  • Not taking new customers. Per BBS’s own FAQ: “We are not currently taking on any new customers.” No workaround, no waitlist, no introduction that changes this.
  • Decks only. BBS manufactures skateboard decks. When your brand is ready for trucks, wheels, helmets or a matched complete, BBS offers nothing even for brands already in their network.
  • US production cost base. San Marcos manufacturing is North American pricing. At 300 or more units, the difference between that and China production pricing is significant.
  • No material-level customisation. BBS does not offer custom fiberglass construction, novel material science, matched component colourways or packaging development.
The honest verdict on BBS

If you could get into BBS, their deck quality would be hard to argue with. But you cannot get in. And even if you could, BBS would give you an excellent deck and nothing else. The brand you are building needs more, and needs a partner ready to grow with you today. That is what 2HEX is.

Get a Quote from 2HEX
2HEX
Why Growing Brands Choose 2HEX as Their BBS Alternative

2HEX Builds What
BBS Cannot,
and Is Open to You.

Being turned away by BBS does not say anything about your brand. It says that BBS chose to stop growing and 2HEX chose to keep going. The brands inside BBS’s network got there early and stayed. The brands building with 2HEX are the ones writing the next chapter.

2HEX is German-managed with production in Guangzhou, China. Decks that go deeper than any US woodshop. Trucks, wheels, helmets and packaging from the same network. Direct shipping to 20+ countries. A team that wants your brand to succeed because that is how 2HEX grows.

Talk to 2HEX About Your Brand
Open
2HEX is actively taking new brand partners. BBS is not.
20+
Countries 2HEX ships to directly
6+
Product categories from one supplier
DE
German management, European quality standards
BBS vs 2HEX Side by Side

BBS Manufacturing vs 2HEX
Complete Comparison for Skateboard Brands

BBS Manufacturing 2HEX ★
New Customers Not taking new customers per their own FAQ Actively taking on new brand partners Open Now
Founded / Heritage 1996, Grant Burns, San Marcos CA, 600+ employees. Baker, Deathwish, Anti-Hero, Real. German management (Ulm) + China production (Guangzhou). Trusted by The Berrics.
Products Made Skateboard decks only Decks, trucks, wheels, bearings, griptape, hardware, helmets, shoes, packaging Full Range
Deck Customisation Premium hard rock maple, custom pressing, screen and digital printing. All of that plus custom molds, carbon fibre layers, fiberglass weave, custom glue Deeper
Trucks and Wheels Not produced Custom geometries, urethane colour matched to your deck and bushings Full Custom
Helmets and Protection Not produced In matched colourways across your product line Unique
Custom Packaging Not offered Branded boxes, complete kits, co-packaged tools, printed booklets Unique
Shipping Primarily North America Direct to 20+ countries: USA, EU, UK, Japan, South Korea and more Global
Pricing at Scale (300+) US/North American production cost base China production = significantly lower per-unit cost Best Value
Communication Not relevant: not accepting new orders from new brands Fast personal replies. Your success is how 2HEX grows. Fastest
BBS vs 2HEX: Should You Switch?

BBS or 2HEX?
An honest answer for every situation.

Wait for BBS If...

  • You are already an established BBS customer with an existing relationship and a working order cadence
  • You need only decks and you are willing to wait an indeterminate period with no confirmation that BBS will reopen
  • The BBS association with Baker, Anti-Hero and Real is a non-negotiable part of your brand story

✓ Move to 2HEX If...

  • BBS has turned you away or you cannot access them as a new brand, which is the default for all new inquiries
  • You want trucks, wheels, helmets or packaging under your brand from one supplier
  • You want matched colourways across every component: a complete that looks designed, not assembled
  • You are ordering 300+ units and want China pricing to change your margin structure
  • You want a manufacturing partner who treats your brand as a priority, not a factory too full to take your call

BBS Said No. 2HEX Says Yes.

If BBS is unavailable, your brand does not have to wait. Tell us what you are building and we will tell you exactly what 2HEX can do for you.

Get a Quote from 2HEX
Why 2HEX Is the Strongest BBS Alternative

Six Things 2HEX Does
That BBS Is Closed and Cannot Do for Your Brand

01

The Door Is Open

BBS’s quality is excellent, but it does not exist for your brand right now. 2HEX is actively looking for new brand partnerships. The team reads every inquiry personally and replies within 24 hours. When BBS says not currently, 2HEX says today.

02

Beyond Decks: The Full Brand World

BBS makes decks. 2HEX makes decks, trucks, wheels, bearings, helmets, hardware and custom packaging. Wheels in the same urethane colour as your bushings. A box that turns a complete into a product moment. The visual coherence that makes a brand stand out on a shop floor.

03

Deeper Material Science on Decks

2HEX starts where every US woodshop stops. Custom carbon fibre layers in a specific colour. Fiberglass weave techniques developed for your construction. New molds from a specification that does not yet exist. China’s factory ecosystem makes these possible at quantities and prices North American production cannot match.

04

German Management. China Pricing.

2HEX is run from Ulm, Germany, with production in Guangzhou. You get what BBS delivers on deck quality, plus full product range, plus economics that North American manufacturing cannot offer.

05

Direct Shipping to Your Door

2HEX ships directly to 20+ countries. No freight pickup logistics. No California-only hub. Your order arrives at your door in the USA, across the EU, in the UK, Japan, South Korea and more.

06

A Partner Invested in Your Growth

BBS at 600 employees does not grow because your brand grows. 2HEX grows because its customers grow. That alignment of incentives shapes response speed, production care, and how problems get solved when they arise.

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Photo to add here
A flat-lay showing the complete 2HEX product range: deck, trucks, wheels, bearings, grip, hardware, helmet and branded box, all in a coherent colourway. Clean, professional product photography.
ALT TEXT: “2HEX full skateboard product range, BBS Manufacturing alternative, custom decks trucks wheels helmets and packaging from one supplier, German-managed China production”
The full 2HEX product range. Everything BBS never offered, from one partner.
How to Move from BBS to 2HEX

Three Steps to Your First 2HEX Order
as the BBS Alternative

01

Send Us Your Brief

Tell us what you need, what BBS could not give you, and where your brand is heading. We will reply honestly about what 2HEX can deliver and whether we are the right fit.

02

Approve Samples

We produce samples of every component you order. You hold, test and sign off before anything goes to production scale. Nothing moves without your confirmation on quality.

03

Your Brand Ships

Production runs to spec, quality is checked throughout, your order ships directly to you. We stay in contact across the whole process.

The Best BBS Manufacturing Alternative for Brands BBS Won’t Take

BBS Manufacturing has been one of skateboarding’s most respected deck factories since Grant Burns founded it in San Marcos, California in 1996. The brands it produces for read like a who’s who of core skateboarding: Baker, Deathwish, Anti-Hero, Alien Workshop, Real. That reputation is earned. The hard rock maple from Wisconsin mills, the specially formulated glue, the fully integrated production process: BBS is excellent at what it does. The problem is not the quality. The problem is the door.

BBS Manufacturing’s FAQ page has stated for years: “We are not currently taking on any new customers.” For brands that discovered BBS through the boards they grew up riding, that sentence lands hard. There is no application process, no waitlist, no route in for a new brand regardless of their potential or order size. BBS has made a deliberate choice to serve its existing network at depth rather than expand. For brands already inside that network, this is excellent. For every other brand in skateboarding, BBS is simply unavailable.

The BBS alternative that is open and builds more: 2HEX. German-managed, China-produced, full component range, ships directly worldwide. Not a consolation prize. A better offer for where your brand is going.

BBS vs 2HEX: What the Comparison Actually Shows

In a direct BBS vs 2HEX comparison, the access question overshadows everything else. BBS is unavailable to new brands. That is the beginning and end of the decision for most people reading this page. But the product range comparison is worth understanding, because even if BBS were accessible, 2HEX offers a meaningfully broader proposition.

BBS produces premium skateboard decks. That is their expertise and their singular focus. They do not produce trucks, wheels, helmets, hardware or packaging. A brand building a complete product line cannot use BBS as their sole supplier even in the hypothetical world where BBS accepted them. They would still need separate suppliers for every other component. 2HEX produces all of it from raw material at a Guangzhou factory network managed by a German team in Ulm. One partner. The full product line.

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Photo to add here
A production or quality control photo from the 2HEX factory in Guangzhou: components being inspected or assembled in a clean, well-lit facility. The 2HEX logo visible if possible. Conveys quality and German-standard oversight.
ALT TEXT: “2HEX skateboard production Guangzhou China, quality comparable to BBS Manufacturing, German management oversight, BBS alternative manufacturer”
2HEX Guangzhou production. German oversight applied to every run.

BBS Manufacturing Review: Why Their Reputation Is Deserved, and Why It Does Not Help You

A BBS Manufacturing review from the skateboarding community is consistently positive. The boards from San Marcos are considered among the best in the industry. The pop, the durability, the consistent geometry: BBS has earned its position by making excellent products for brands that care about quality. For the brands inside their network, there is little reason to look elsewhere on pure deck quality.

The BBS review that matters for this page is different. It is the experience of a brand founder who contacted BBS, was told they are not accepting new customers, and is now looking for what comes next. That experience is extremely common. The right response is to find the manufacturer that is genuinely hungry to work with you, produces a wider range, and can still deliver quality. That is what 2HEX exists to be.

Already contacted BBS and been turned away? Fill in the form below. Tell us what you were hoping for and what you are trying to build. 2HEX will give you an honest answer within 24 hours.

Why Brands Choose 2HEX as Their BBS Alternative

Brands That Found Their Partner
After the BBS Door Closed

“The COVID-19 pandemic crippled most manufacturers. But 2HEX made producing our Do a Kickflip! decks a total breeze.”
Ben Edwards
The Berrics, Los Angeles
“My biggest challenge was finding a quality truck manufacturer in China. The results were very good and Niklas was very helpful to guide me along. I would highly recommend 2HEX.”
Verified 2HEX Customer
Truck Production Run
“We needed a manufacturer that could build the whole product, not just the deck. 2HEX understood that immediately. Everything matched, everything shipped on time, and the team was in contact throughout.”
Verified 2HEX Customer
Full Complete Production
After BBS: Two Paths Forward

The Brand That Waits.
The Brand That Builds.

Waiting for BBS to Open

  • You wait for a door with no announced timeline, while competitors build with manufacturers who are available now
  • Even when BBS opens, they produce decks only: you still need separate suppliers for trucks, wheels, helmets and packaging
  • Your complete ships with generic components that look like every other brand’s complete on the shop floor
  • You stay at US manufacturing pricing while competitors sourcing through China at scale build healthier margins
  • Your brand pauses while you wait for a factory never designed to grow with new brands
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Building with 2HEX Now

  • You get a quote this week and samples within a production cycle, not after an indeterminate waitlist
  • Your complete looks like one person designed every piece: matched wheels, bushings, deck veneer, truck finish
  • Helmets and pads in your colourway extend the brand into protection gear from the same supplier
  • At 300+ units your per-unit cost drops in a way that funds the next product launch
  • You have a partner whose growth depends on your brand succeeding, not a factory managing a legacy roster
BBS Alternative: Common Questions Answered

BBS vs 2HEX FAQ
Everything Brands Ask After Being Turned Away by BBS

What is the best BBS Manufacturing alternative?+

2HEX is the strongest BBS Manufacturing alternative for brands that cannot access BBS. Unlike BBS, 2HEX is actively taking on new brand partners, produces decks, trucks, wheels, helmets and packaging from raw material, ships directly to 20+ countries, and offers China production pricing with German management. Trusted by The Berrics and brands across 20 countries.

Is BBS Manufacturing taking new customers in 2025?+

Per BBS Manufacturing’s own FAQ page: “BBS is an OEM manufacturer and does not sell to the public. We are not currently taking on any new customers.” This statement has been on their website for several years. Brands searching for a BBS alternative should contact 2HEX, which is open to new brands and produces a broader product range than BBS.

What brands does BBS Manufacturing make decks for?+

BBS Manufacturing produces decks for Baker Skateboards, Deathwish, Anti-Hero, Alien Workshop and Real Skateboards, among other established core skate brands. Their existing customer base is the reason they do not need to open to new brands: they are at capacity serving long-term partners. 2HEX produces comparable quality with the added range of trucks, wheels, helmets and packaging, and is open to new brand partnerships.

How does 2HEX compare to BBS Manufacturing on quality?+

2HEX is managed from Ulm, Germany, applying European quality standards to production in Guangzhou. China production does not mean lower quality. It means lower manufacturing cost. 2HEX produced for The Berrics during the COVID-19 pandemic when most factories could not deliver, and ships to 20+ countries worldwide. Samples are always produced and approved before any production run begins.

Does BBS make trucks and wheels as well as decks?+

BBS Manufacturing specialises exclusively in skateboard decks. They do not produce trucks, wheels, bearings, hardware, helmets or packaging. Even brands inside the BBS network need separate suppliers for all non-deck components. 2HEX produces the full range from raw material at one factory network.

What is BBS Manufacturing and where are they based?+

BBS Manufacturing is a premium OEM skateboard deck manufacturer based in San Marcos, California, founded in 1996 by Grant Burns. Originally Bare Back Skateboards, they transitioned to pure OEM manufacturing by the early 2000s. With over 600 employees, BBS is one of the largest dedicated skateboard deck factories in North America. They use hard rock maple from Wisconsin mills and a specially formulated skateboard glue. They currently do not accept new OEM customers.

Is there a manufacturer similar to BBS that is open to new brands?+

Yes. 2HEX is the most capable manufacturer similar to BBS that is actively open to new brand partnerships. 2HEX also goes beyond BBS’s deck-only offering, producing trucks, wheels, helmets and custom packaging from raw material in Guangzhou, managed by a German team in Ulm. PSStix in San Diego is also open for US deck-only brands.

Get a Quote from the BBS Alternative That Is Open

Tell 2HEX About
Your Skateboard Brand

What Happens Next

  • 1
    We read your message personally, usually within 24 hours. No automated responses.
  • 2
    You get an honest answer about what 2HEX can build for your brand, including cases where another manufacturer might serve you better.
  • 3
    If we are a match, we move to specs, samples and a production plan. No pressure, no vague promises.

2HEX Headquarters
Eythstr. 11, 89075 Ulm, Germany

Production Office
Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

www.2hex.com

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Thank you. We will be in touch within 24 hours with a direct, honest assessment of whether 2HEX is the right BBS alternative for your brand.