Post by huntsgemein on Aug 14, 2017 4:35:09 GMT -5
Firstly, apologies if this is old news: it's new to me! I further apologise if this comes across as some sort of breathless, sycophantic fanboy twaddle. This is not my intent, despite the positive spin that I read into it.
In the spirit of the tech-sharing phenomenon that characterised German industry in the 70s & 80s, I recently noticed that the Metabo cordless juggernaut has created yet another partner. In addition to existing Mafell & Rothenberger contracts, Metabo has lately signed up the niche manufacturer Collomix, presumably to both company's benefit.
Whilst the collaboration with Mafell has been of benefit in providing much needed economies of scale in manufacture of Metabo's range of EC motors & drill production, it hasn't as yet translated into a new line of Metabo cordless saws. Maybe because Metabo are currently hamstrung by using the absolutely frightful Fuss-tool-esque group of guiderails instead of the palpably superior Bosch/Mafell equivent. Nevertheless merely sharing EC motors, chargers & batteries keeps Metabo's R & D and production facilities ticking over efficiently on behalf of their own end user & contractual clients. This SHOULD translate into better unit pricing for us consumers.
The Rothenberger relationship is similarly predicated around supply only. I guess that in this instance the reputation that is associated with the Rothenberger brand name in producing uber spitzenklasse plumbing tools doesn't translate commercially into Metabo's customer base: R has a great name & well established client base in plumbing tools, whereas Metabo branded (but Rothenberger made) equivalents would tend to be regarded with suspicion.
With Collomix it's different. C, as one of the market leaders in mixers, gets Metabo's EC motor, battery & charger expertise to expand their appeal & customer base, & Metabo gets a superior (maybe even best-in-class) mixer design in its own livery to market as its own. Win-win by any measure I'm guessing. That the Collomix iteration is sold with "old tech" 5.2 AH batteries (although it's available naked too) means that it's in some ways actually advantage: Metabo.
Big (well medium-sized actually) M just seems to be expanding its range of both tools & corporate partners exponentially. There's also the recent (albeit essentially one-way) marketing cooperative agreement with Finland's Mirka . This just gets better & better. In stark contrast to the jealous, isolationist siege mentality of at least one other well-known German maker, it appears that Metabo & at least some of its peers are reaping the benefits of a less competitive and more collaborative relationship, as was the original aspirational spirit if not the bureaucratic reality of the European Union.
Plus it will reinforce the mutual economic viability of all parties concerned, and hopefully lead to more competitive pricing (no, it's not oxymoronic; the "real" competition becomes other trading coops, not the partner) & a better deal for us consumers.
In the spirit of the tech-sharing phenomenon that characterised German industry in the 70s & 80s, I recently noticed that the Metabo cordless juggernaut has created yet another partner. In addition to existing Mafell & Rothenberger contracts, Metabo has lately signed up the niche manufacturer Collomix, presumably to both company's benefit.
Whilst the collaboration with Mafell has been of benefit in providing much needed economies of scale in manufacture of Metabo's range of EC motors & drill production, it hasn't as yet translated into a new line of Metabo cordless saws. Maybe because Metabo are currently hamstrung by using the absolutely frightful Fuss-tool-esque group of guiderails instead of the palpably superior Bosch/Mafell equivent. Nevertheless merely sharing EC motors, chargers & batteries keeps Metabo's R & D and production facilities ticking over efficiently on behalf of their own end user & contractual clients. This SHOULD translate into better unit pricing for us consumers.
The Rothenberger relationship is similarly predicated around supply only. I guess that in this instance the reputation that is associated with the Rothenberger brand name in producing uber spitzenklasse plumbing tools doesn't translate commercially into Metabo's customer base: R has a great name & well established client base in plumbing tools, whereas Metabo branded (but Rothenberger made) equivalents would tend to be regarded with suspicion.
With Collomix it's different. C, as one of the market leaders in mixers, gets Metabo's EC motor, battery & charger expertise to expand their appeal & customer base, & Metabo gets a superior (maybe even best-in-class) mixer design in its own livery to market as its own. Win-win by any measure I'm guessing. That the Collomix iteration is sold with "old tech" 5.2 AH batteries (although it's available naked too) means that it's in some ways actually advantage: Metabo.
Big (well medium-sized actually) M just seems to be expanding its range of both tools & corporate partners exponentially. There's also the recent (albeit essentially one-way) marketing cooperative agreement with Finland's Mirka . This just gets better & better. In stark contrast to the jealous, isolationist siege mentality of at least one other well-known German maker, it appears that Metabo & at least some of its peers are reaping the benefits of a less competitive and more collaborative relationship, as was the original aspirational spirit if not the bureaucratic reality of the European Union.
Plus it will reinforce the mutual economic viability of all parties concerned, and hopefully lead to more competitive pricing (no, it's not oxymoronic; the "real" competition becomes other trading coops, not the partner) & a better deal for us consumers.