Gammaflux president and CEO Jeff Colman said the decision was made for a number of reasons, “but the bottom line is we do not find it prudent in this current economy to spend the money necessary to exhibit at NPE.” He added that the resources needed to exhibit at the show can better serve customers by working with them directly, adding that “hundreds of visits to customers” can be made for the cost saved.
Gammaflux has been a regular exhibitor at past NPEs, said Colman, and will consider exhibiting again in the next NPE in 2012, but added, “This economic situation is extraordinary and requires some difficult decisions.”
Mike Brostedt, director of market development at Gammaflux, reiterated that reasoning, and emphasized that more units can be dedicated to the Gammaflux Challenge free loaner program with the former NPE funds. “When someone has an underperforming mold that is running inconsistently and causing downtime,” said Brostedt, “something in there is changing.” When simply changing the HR temperature control solves the problem, it clinches the case.
Brostedt said Gammaflux people will attend NPE 2009 to see how the show unfolds. Market-wise, North America, and the Americas in general, are the strongest global markets for Gammaflux, compared with Europe and Asia, he said, so the company will be looking at the 2012 show as a possibility. In the meantime, the company is focused on helping its customers make money to get through these tough times.
Gammaflux sales, he said, were good in November, less so in December, and in January, “They were awful.” However, February was better and thus far March is still better, so there is clear improvement. The real story, he noted, is what the business level is in the summer, which is historically slow, and then how it looks going into the fourth quarter of this year. —[email protected]
