Upcoming flex @ sema

[Zelfiris]

SEMA is always held the first week of November. SEMA opens on Tuesday and runs through Friday. Hours are 9:00am to 5:00pm.

SEMA Show Info


I just got off the phone with Bob Eichelberg, the President of Flex North America and we talked about this thread and this new tool. He told me about a week before SEMA I could post a few write-ups for some of the cars I've been detailing using this new tool.

So be looking for these write-ups to go public the last week of October.

Ugh.. gotta wait to Nov?

[dpk20x]

Nope we only need to wait till the last week of October

[02xtreme07SS]

Wow...this thread feels awfully familiar and I still have a bad taste in my mouth from the last similar thread. I sincerely hope that Flex doesn't make the same mistake with their new polisher that Rupes made last year with the debut of their new polishers at SEMA.

I'm sure we all remember it well enough, but for those who don't or aren't familiar...Rupes built up the hype on their new DAs last year to the point of a frenzy. Then they debuted them at SEMA with no anticipated available date and no estimated pricing.

Then they announced the polishers would only initially be available as part of an overpriced (I'm being nice) 'kit', but still no pricing for the polishers only (which if you think about it is asinine because you can't put a price on a 'kit' unless you know the cost of the individual components, but I digress).

Then it was announced that the kits would be available in several weeks, but in severely limited supply.

It wasn't until months later that the polishers only were announced to be available and then they missed the mark on setting the price at what most would call 'reasonable' for a floating spindle DA. They could have/would have sold A LOT more units if they set the price correctly...which would be at a point that would appeal to the PC guys looking for a more effective tool.

Unfortunately it is my opinion that the Duetto doesn't outperform the ~$100 PC enough to justify a ~$300+ price tag. It was almost as if they wanted to see how demand existed for the new polishers before they set the pricing in an attempt maximize their profits. That is all well and good, but I consider it pretty shady business for a company that doesn't even have any true US service centers to fulfill the warranty on their products (the last time I inquired about this, Rupes was more or less allowing retailers to perform repairs/replacements as necessary, this may have change by now). In any respect, great marketing but abysmally poor execution on the sales side.

If a manufacturer is debuting a product at SEMA, it is my opinion that they need three key things to be successful:

1. A fully engineered and functional product that people want. Don't bring a shell of a product and say, "this is what it will look like, but we're not exactly sure how it will perform" or even "we have 3 units currently being tested by some of the industry's finest". Playing 'hide the weenie' is not going to gain you market share. If it's not ready, don't debut it.

2. A retail price. If you are going to allow retailers to set their own price, an MSRP is acceptable. What will your new product cost? If a consumer cannot justify the price of a product, it doesn't matter how good the product performs. In order to determine value for performance, a price point needs to be set. A GOOD manufacturer has already identified the cost to produce their product long before they are ready to debut it. Again, playing 'hide the weenie' at a product launch is not an ingredient in any recipe for success.

3. A realistic release date. When will your new product be available? Give people a realistic target date. Don't set a date just because you think that's what people want to hear and then delay, delay, delay. It will be counterproductive in your efforts to sell you unit. If the dates slip, be honest as to why the dates are slipping. Don't be arrogant and just say, "Because". Why? Because playing 'hide the weenie' will not gain additional interest in your product.

I hope Flex hits it out of the park with their new polisher because I love every one of my Flex polishers. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for any of my Rupes polishers. While my Rupes polishes are effective, that nonsense that they pulled with the release of the Duetto and Mini really soured me on them as a company. Quite frankly, the way the release was handled, the lack of information, and subsequent erroneous pricing of the Deutto and Mini can be summed up in one word, arrogant.

I can only blame myself for buying them even though I had such a strong negative bias toward Rupes at the time, but I bought into the hype. The marketing guys should get a the lion's share of profit for each and every one of the new Rupes polishers that were sold because they did a heck of a job selling a product. However, when I reached the point in my own testing where I felt they didn't live up to the hype, I began to regret those purchases. Hey, I'm human.

[BostonSam]

I just rounded my polishers I picked up the PE14 last week and now this LOL. I think I'm good for now with the 3401, PE14 and my PC but should be interesting what Flex has up their sleeves.

[Evan.J]

All I know is when Flex makes a tool they do it right. Its never rushed into production to do what other are doing. If I'm not mistaken the PE-14 was in development for just about 8 years before it was released. The Germans can make a great tool and they take pride in what they make and come up with.

You know when you buy a Flex you are getting every penny you pay for and its a quality top notch tool.

I had the pleasure for spending 3 days with Bob from Flex and I can say that he loves his job, loves the industry, but most of all he loves Flex. The passion that he bring to the table is amazing in every aspect. Bob is filled with a wealth of information about any Flex polisher you can imagine and he can tell you just about every detail and why things are they way they are.

He and Flex offer some of the best support for consumers in the industry and I know I never have to worry if I should have any issues with my 3401. You can call on him or Chris as well and they can diagnosis any issues over the phone and tell you exactly what it needs. Should in need repaired then they have a like right in Nebraska that can not only fix the machine but clean it as well. I'd say Flex has it down.

I'm excited to see what they bring to the table this year and I can bet it will be nothing but the best there is to offer.

[addysdaddy]

Like Evan, I'm a Flex fanboy as well.

[VISITOR]

Wow...this thread feels awfully familiar and I still have a bad taste in my mouth from the last similar thread. I sincerely hope that Flex doesn't make the same mistake with their new polisher that Rupes made last year with the debut of their new polishers at SEMA.

I'm sure we all remember it well enough, but for those who don't or aren't familiar...Rupes built up the hype on their new DAs last year to the point of a frenzy. Then they debuted them at SEMA with no anticipated available date and no estimated pricing.

Then they announced the polishers would only initially be available as part of an overpriced (I'm being nice) 'kit', but still no pricing for the polishers only (which if you think about it is asinine because you can't put a price on a 'kit' unless you know the cost of the individual components, but I digress).

Then it was announced that the kits would be available in several weeks, but in severely limited supply.

It wasn't until months later that the polishers only were announced to be available and then they missed the mark on setting the price at what most would call 'reasonable' for a floating spindle DA. They could have/would have sold A LOT more units if they set the price correctly...which would be at a point that would appeal to the PC guys looking for a more effective tool.

Unfortunately it is my opinion that the Duetto doesn't outperform the ~$100 PC enough to justify a ~$300+ price tag. It was almost as if they wanted to see how demand existed for the new polishers before they set the pricing in an attempt maximize their profits. That is all well and good, but I consider it pretty shady business for a company that doesn't even have any true US service centers to fulfill the warranty on their products (the last time I inquired about this, Rupes was more or less allowing retailers to perform repairs/replacements as necessary, this may have change by now). In any respect, great marketing but abysmally poor execution on the sales side.

If a manufacturer is debuting a product at SEMA, it is my opinion that they need three key things to be successful:

1. A fully engineered and functional product that people want. Don't bring a shell of a product and say, "this is what it will look like, but we're not exactly sure how it will perform" or even "we have 3 units currently being tested by some of the industry's finest". Playing 'hide the weenie' is not going to gain you market share. If it's not ready, don't debut it.

2. A retail price. If you are going to allow retailers to set their own price, an MSRP is acceptable. What will your new product cost? If a consumer cannot justify the price of a product, it doesn't matter how good the product performs. In order to determine value for performance, a price point needs to be set. A GOOD manufacturer has already identified the cost to produce their product long before they are ready to debut it. Again, playing 'hide the weenie' at a product launch is not an ingredient in any recipe for success.

3. A realistic release date. When will your new product be available? Give people a realistic target date. Don't set a date just because you think that's what people want to hear and then delay, delay, delay. It will be counterproductive in your efforts to sell you unit. If the dates slip, be honest as to why the dates are slipping. Don't be arrogant and just say, "Because". Why? Because playing 'hide the weenie' will not gain additional interest in your product.

I hope Flex hits it out of the park with their new polisher because I love every one of my Flex polishers. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for any of my Rupes polishers. While my Rupes polishes are effective, that nonsense that they pulled with the release of the Duetto and Mini really soured me on them as a company. Quite frankly, the way the release was handled, the lack of information, and subsequent erroneous pricing of the Deutto and Mini can be summed up in one word, arrogant.

I can only blame myself for buying them even though I had such a strong negative bias toward Rupes at the time, but I bought into the hype. The marketing guys should get a the lion's share of profit for each and every one of the new Rupes polishers that were sold because they did a heck of a job selling a product. However, when I reached the point in my own testing where I felt they didn't live up to the hype, I began to regret those purchases. Hey, I'm human.

All I know is when Flex makes a tool they do it right. Its never rushed into production to do what other are doing. If I'm not mistaken the PE-14 was in development for just about 8 years before it was released. The Germans can make a great tool and they take pride in what they make and come up with.

You know when you buy a Flex you are getting every penny you pay for and its a quality top notch tool.

I had the pleasure for spending 3 days with Bob from Flex and I can say that he loves his job, loves the industry, but most of all he loves Flex. The passion that he bring to the table is amazing in every aspect. Bob is filled with a wealth of information about any Flex polisher you can imagine and he can tell you just about every detail and why things are they way they are.

He and Flex offer some of the best support for consumers in the industry and I know I never have to worry if I should have any issues with my 3401. You can call on him or Chris as well and they can diagnosis any issues over the phone and tell you exactly what it needs. Should in need repaired then they have a like right in Nebraska that can not only fix the machine but clean it as well. I'd say Flex has it down.

I'm excited to see what they bring to the table this year and I can bet it will be nothing but the best there is to offer.

you both make some excellent points and i have to agree. i had a similiar experience with rupes and i don't care to purchase another product from them. the flex quality control is better than the rupes as well. whatever flex has coming out, i'm definitely interested in it and i'm sure it will be a high quality tool that will perform just like their other offerings...