Diaphragm pump competition

Fluimac air operated diaphragm pumps have outstanding benefits to the end user. Not only are the products of an exceptionally high quality with full CE certification, the selection of pump sizes for specific duty applications is very impressive.

GM Pumps CC has vast experience in this industry and is the driving organisation in marketing the Fluimac brand in Southern Africa and the UK. To serve the industry rapidly and with qualified service and sales teams, GM Pumps is committed to providing training and holding extensive stock. Our extremely active sales and support team continually stand by to assist both resellers and end users in any way we are needed. We are committed to supporting our stockist/distributors in all major centres of the territories in which we function.
While we progress in this endeavor, we are continually excited by the valuable lessons we have the privilege of learning as our organisation grows the distribution network. Looking at our efforts and experiences as we reach out to the end users who will benefit from our holistic offering of product, service, and expertise, we recognise the fight from the larger brands as we make our mark in the industry.

Our new sales agents experience the difference between the GM PUMPS team compared to many of the other established distributor companies and brands. Our product is proven, is manufactured to ISO standards, has full certification for Atex and FDA duties, and is available in an array of materials to support almost any duty requirement.
While Fluimac Diaphragm Pumps are very quickly accepted into the market through the exceptional efforts of our service and sales team, we do experience our share of disappointments. It can be really disheartening for our reseller agents to suffer the loss of an order to the more established “big brands” of the industry, especially when they have put in a huge effort to enable the customer to experience the Fluimac difference.
It goes without saying, one can have the best product, great technical literature, even outstanding “no obligation” trial units and still lose the business.

The customer cannot fully benefit from our product if we don’t fully participate all the way through the purchasing decision process.

When the BIG brands must call in their top salespeople to “negotiate” a deal behind closed doors, close that deal with huge discounts to secure the “business”, we know our “new kid on the block brand” is attracting attention, and we are winning a brand position in hearts and minds.

Today (14/02/2018) was such a day in the life of the Fluimac brand in South Africa.

The pneumatic diaphragm pump industry is highly competitive, dominated by established brands, Wilden, Sandpiper, Blagdon, Aro, Yamada, Versamatic, Verder and Graco.

Through one of our resellers, we helped to promote our Fluimac air operated diaphragm pumps to a medium-sized coatings company based in Cape Town. A trial pump, with no obligation to purchase, was provided for testing on their viscous paint products. Three months after the unit was delivered, the trial was completed with the very excited customer reporting that they were really impressed.

The Fluimac P160, our 1” pump, had outperformed their BIG Brand NAME 1” model they has been using by a significant margin. The customer further indicated that Fluimac was the preferred purchase option, and, they urgently needed 5 units.

Two days later, that good feeling of having recognition for our products outstanding quality, exceptional design and performance was shut down. The gushing customer satisfaction report with acknowledgment of the superiority of the Fluimac product, our service, and commitment to support was all blown away as we were informed that the company MD made the decision to go with the BIG brand option, seemingly based purely on “PRICE”.

Essentially the Big Brand sales team took advantage of having existing product on site. It is possible that they love the spares revenue and simply factoring in dropping the new unit pricing significantly, secure the sale and the revenue stream from future spares orders which will then continue and escalate.

A very embarrassed factory foreman was tasked with informing our sales agent that this had occurred. Essentially the decision was made by the person with the authority to do so. Our sales agent has incorrectly invested in the wrong person in terms of the decision process.

Without the Fluimac team being involved more closely with the decision maker, he purchased a vastly inferior product, proven by his own companies extensive comparison testing. Had we simply highlighting the incredible product benefits to the customer, in terms of performance compared to the BIG BRAND, lower air consumption, simpler maintenance requirements and correct pricing for the materials options needed, the customer would have saved 30% of his capital payment.