Business View Oceania | December 2019

101 102 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA DECEMBER 2019 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA DECEMBER 2019 customer service. Quality is assumed; yes we want to be innovative, but customer experience is what we do for people. We want to hear their stories; how they feel after they do business with us. Good machinery is the baseline of being able to compete, but what sets Wallenstein apart is our enhancement of the customer experience and business relationships, because you can’t sell solely on features.” The company will interact with end users if there are warranty issues, but they do not sell directly. And their focus remains fixed and strong on small to mid-range forestry equipment. That’s what they care about, that’s where they excel, but that doesn’t rule out innovation. Firewood processing is one area that has great potential. “The wood splitter has been here for generations and we do that really well,” says Horst. “But what comes next after those traditional type products is what we spend a lot of time talking about, building, trying, innovating. Those are areas where, product-wise, we see changes. We see a future.” Good business relationships are key and expectations are not taken lightly. Upper management at Wallenstein Equipment picks the companies, the suppliers, and the people they want to do business with, and expects them to be priced competitively and relatively easy to do business with, in turn. As Horst acknowledges, “If we’re holding ourselves to a high level of customer experience going out to the consumer, we’re going to align ourselves with suppliers and partners and vendors who reciprocate that.” Looking ahead, Wallenstein Equipment is poised to expand its product offering, and that may include a change in distribution in some regions of the world. With consumers’ purchase methods changing (think Amazon, etc.) the company wants to be protective of its historic position within current distribution channels, but also very proactive in how they allow people to do business with them. Right now, it’s distribution through the dealerships. “That’s important for some products,” Horst notes, “but I see a future in different parts of 54 Spalding Drive, Brantford, ON N3T 6B8 519-753-8080 | sales@trakar.com W W W . T R A K A R . C O M S P R I N G S T O M E E T A L L Y O U R N E E D S WALLENSTE IN EQUI PMENT INC . the world, where it will change the way we interact with buyers and end users. One other reason I feel we’re positioned for a healthy future is the leadership of the company. At the present time, there are eight of us on the management level, including my partner and me. We meet every two weeks and that’s where the decisions get made, jointly, as one voice. Our management team is at the core of the company and I’m really proud of them.” PREFERRED VENDOR n Trakar Products Inc. www.trakar.com