Tooling companies’ joint venture offers comprehensive solution

Specialist in the manufacture, assembly and sale of diamond tools and equipment Diamond Products has partnered with professional power tools manufacturer Makita, through its Southern African sole distributor Rutherfords to provide customers with comprehensive power tools and cost-effective diamond tooling products.

In mid-2014, Diamond Products became an official dealer of Makita power tools, which is when the partnership was formalised.

Diamond Products director Brian Clark tells Engineering News that customers require not only convenience but also technical guidance and support. This, as well as the industry’s need for a direct solution from one supplier, influenced the companies’ decision to combine the packaging of their goods.

Clark explains that a customer having to travel to two different suppliers and receive different recommendations and suggestions is an inconvenient and time-consuming process, which Diamond Products and Makita are solving by offering two complementary products in one package.

“Until recently, Diamond Products passively sold Makita power tools to its clients. However, we realised that there was an opportunity to offer clients one comprehensive professional solution to meet their needs,” he says, adding that Diamond Products’ sales have increased since the partnership was officiated last year.

Another benefit of the partnership is that the companies can provide their customers with “a comprehensive basket of products” without having to deviate from each company’s core competence.

Clark explains that customers buying power tools that require additional diamond tooling may inadvertently buy a power tool with the incorrect capacity that might not complement the diamond tooling. This is because power tool suppliers often consider their products in isolation and not as a complementary product.

More often than not, customers also do not understand the requirements of a machine and will buy a unit without an understanding of how individual tools complement one another, he notes.

However, Diamond Products says customers have confidence in the company’s abilities to supply the correct tools and that the partnership with Makita was a result of customers continually asking why Diamond Products could not sell and supply the additional tools they needed.

Meanwhile, Makita, which supplies its products to South African retail outlets through Rutherfords, says the new joint venture offers clients the convenience and pleasure of receiving the correct solution and, subsequently, using the product in such a way that it achieves the best result.

Clark notes that several Diamond Products tools complement Makita and even other competitors’ power tools, which means that the two companies’ tools can function well in tandem on the market, with Diamond Products’ products are packaged in their own boxes with their own formation.

Clark elaborates that, while Makita products are packaged with their machine information on the exterior of the package, Diamond Products’ products are packaged in their own boxes with their own information.

He tells Engineering News that the branding for each product will remain the same, as both companies have strong brand recognition in South Africa. He emphasises that the reciprocal nature of the partnership between the companies benefits each.

Clark explains that Diamond Products will handle the sale and packaging of the diamond tooling, though the brands and products will remain separate inside the box. Further, the price of the combined products will not increase.

While Diamond Products has targeted dealing directly with construction contractors and end-users, Makita uses its marketing power in the retail sales channels, Clark notes, adding that Diamond Products is, therefore, helping Makita to promote its merchandise to professional and construction clients.

Partnership Preparation
Initial dealings between Diamond Products and Makita started in 1985, when Makita introduced the first hand-held concrete cutter – the only power tool company to do this at the time. Makita approached Diamond Products to make the diamond blades for its newly launched 4107B model.

The partnership was formalised in 1994.

Makita is a market leader in power tools in the Southern African region. The company has more than 100 years of experience in advanced motor design and produces a variety of diamond power tools, including planers, hammers, angle grinders, core drills, cutters and wall chasers.