Are you a good equipment shopper?

What is your normal approach when you are considering new equipment? Do you spend a couple weeks on the web researching the machine you are interested in? Or do you know what you want when you see it? You may contact your local sales rep and start asking the questions that matter the most to you and maybe you might set up a demonstration. Some might order it sight-unseen. I think most of our customers rely strongly on their dealers to help guide them in the R&D phase and we take that seriously. When you place your trust in us we want to make sure we do everything we can to help you make the most informed decisions you can.

I was compelled to write this because I, along with Mark Culley, and my son Steven Barrett, have all just returned from Kyoto, Japan where the first ever Think Smart Factory Show was held. Not only did we attend the show but we also toured the Horizon Factory, the Fujifilm Ink Jet Assembly Plant, and also the Konica Minolta Research and Development Campus, where we had an in depth demo of the KM-1.

Japan Circa 2009- Pictured from left to right: Yasuo Taketsugu (Horizon),

Doug Barrett (MSL), & Eijiro Hori (Horizon)

Japan 2019 - Pictured from left to right: Jack Mathews (SDMC), Doug Barrett (MSL),

Kihm Lattimore (SDMC), & Steven Barrett (MSL)

Japan 2019 - Doug Barrett (MSL) & Mark Culley (MSL)

Why would we bare the expense and time to attend something like this? There is only one reason and that reason is knowledge. Knowledge makes us better sales reps and adds to our pulse on the industry that we bring to you as your local equipment distributor. MSL has always spent a great deal of time and money to keep our technicians and all of our sales representatives trained and up to speed with what our industry is doing.

We spend as much money on training our sales people as we do our service techs. We attend every trade show in the US from start to finish. We attend Drupa in Dusseldorf, Germany every 4 years, DScoop, and any other events that we feel will add to our understanding of this industry. We also belong to 3 different peer groups that are also important sources of information - The American Dealer Group, BindRite Dealers Association, and Detroit Printing House Craftsmen.

The American Dealer Group is where we get to rub elbows with about 25 other dealers from all over North America. These are all dealers very similar to our organization. We meet twice a year and discuss everything from service and sales compensation to what products work and which ones don't. This is a great resource because we review real feedback from actual in-the-field experiences through multiple dealers.

I am trying to drive home the fact that we are always shopping our product line. We not only make sure that the products work by getting feedback from other dealers, we are also attending shows worldwide to make sure what we are selling is also relevant to the industry and our customers. We have walked away from products that weren't to our performance or quality standards or if there are issues with the vendor or support. Not having the proper product and support from any given vendor is a recipe for disaster. We have had complicated installations but we learn from them and we work tirelessly to eliminate the potential future problems. As a result, we strive to ensure that every installation is smooth and productive for the customer, in the least amount of time.

It is our responsibility to make sure products we represent work as the manufacturer intended. We spend a great deal of time and money making sure we understand our industry and where it is headed. Take comfort when working with us on equipment that we really do have your best interest at heart and in mind. We have hand-picked the equipment we sell, we know what works, and we only place it where it will make you, our customers, profitable.

Doug Barrett

MSL Account Executive