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August 1st 2006

With a newly-opened demonstration showroom in Tamworth, IPC Gansow is hoping to show more customers the merits of its machines first hand. Brendan Coyne reports

In the fiercely competitive UK market, machine quality and efficient service are paramount, says IPC Gansow UK & Ireland manager, Richard Slater. While machines must remain competitively priced particularly, he says, as some manufacturers seem intent on buying the market at a loss and UK PLC shareholders demand returns within 12 months he believes it is these qualities which equip IPC Gansow for what has become something of a turf war.

"The UK is very much a price-led market, and totally different to the continental model. It's extremely competitive, so you have to bmirroor that with machine pricing. But you have also got to make the client look at the long term effect of that machine: in three years time one of our products will have only cost X amount to maintain, rather than Y with a competitors,"says Slater. "While many buyers look purely at the initial cost, you have to ensure they impress upon them the ongoing maintenance and running cost economies that are available to them."

While many manufacturers are selling on similar lines, Slater believes there are elements which set IPC Gansow apart, and saves the customer money in the medium term.

"The Gansow machines are one of the few remaining machines built on a full steel chassis most of the competitions' are rotation moulded. But with rotation moulded, if you damage the tank, it has to be completely replaced. With the Gansow system, if you damage one of the side panels, you simply replace that panel which is a good example of maintenance savings available to pragmatic buyers."

However, Slater is keen to point out that innovative rotation moulded machines also have a place in the market particularly in the price-led UK. He says the IPC Greyline machines, known as the Professional line, meet these criteria.

"In terms of innovation, the Genius system on our sweepers is a good example: an automatic self levelling brush system means the brush will always follow the contour of the surface; the side brushes move in when turning to save streaking."

Slater says that as well as the IPC Group's major buying power, combined R&D spend is also a benefit to both the company and the customer. "For example, we have spent a lot of time honing our squeegee designs, which resulted in the V type squeegee because it gives the best drying ability and that is a result of the group's R&D capacity and can be applied across the range."

With the opening of the new Midlands showroom, Slater says customers no longer have to travel to Italy, or take his word for it.

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