Woody Johnson, the US Ambassador to UK, has visited Frog Bikes' Gwent factory to see how it makes the lightweight children's bikes it sells in the US and worldwide.

Mr Johnson was keen to see first-hand how Frog Bikes assembles the bikes. During his visit he took time to chat to the team who work on the assembly line at the factory, which is based at Mamhilad Park Estate, near Pontypool.

Celebrating its fifth anniversary last month, Frog is a leading kids' bike specialist, applying rigorous research into creating a lighter bike which makes it easier for children to learn and enjoy riding. Frog is a successful British exporter, winning awards for both exporting and manufacturing.

In 2016, with support from the US Commercial Service in London, Frog Bikes opened offices in Ocean, New Jersey as well as Alberta, Canada, from which it jointly runs its north American operations.

Shelley Lawson, co-founder of Frog Bikes, said: "As a relatively young company, it was daunting to consider entering such a vast market as the US, but the US Commercial Service gave us invaluable support especially in the early months. They introduced us to a lot of experts and specialist sources of information, guiding us through the operational, legal and financial processes establishing ourselves in US."

Frog has enjoyed rapid growth in North America, with 120 bike dealers now in US and 40 in Canada - with big expansion plans for the next few years. Exhibiting at Interbike, the key US bike industry show, helped to build awareness of the new brand, as well as numerous regional shows and bike events.

Last month Frog Bikes announced a three-year partnership with USA Cycling to be its Official Kids' Bike. The relationship allows the two organisations achieve the shared goal of make biking more accessible to young people.