Hundreds of attendees, suppliers and industry partners gathered for the 2019 Mac Tools Tool Fair, held at Shingle Rosen Creek in Orlando February 14-16.
The three-day event offered Mac Tools distributors and their families the opportunity to meet with fellow franchisees and product manufacturers, and access training classes and prize giveaways.
Make room for growth
At the kickoff event, Mac Tools President Ken Hartman emphasized continued changes and improvements happening at the company, starting with investments that will directly impact franchisees.
“We've got the luxury of having an amazing 81-year-old brand that also has tremendous growth potential. Usually you get one or the other, you don't have something that has the growth potential, and a legacy like we've got,” says Hartman.
A big piece of fulfilling that legacy starts with the mobile jobbers, a group which continues to thrive, as this year Mac Tools reports starting 160 new franchisees. Investments back into the channel, such as upgrading the company’s business operating system and expanding training capabilities, are two way Mac Tools is making good on this pledge.
Hartman notes the company is also making strategic efforts to encourage and support multi-route owners.
“We're trying to drive more multi-routes because we know that, as these distributors scale up, and do it effectively, it makes [those businesses] more viable long-term.” He adds a driver’s success rate with a second, third or fourth franchise is “a lot better than a brand new person off the streets.”
Two training sessions addressed this topic, featuring a panel of top-performing multi-route owners who shared insight and took questions from their colleagues. The roundtable discussions were well-attended and covered common issues like financial preparation, recruiting and hiring. Hartman says about 10 percent or fewer of Mac Tools dealers are multi-route owners, but that this number is on the rise, as mobile distributors find that owning multiple routes can be an effective way to build business.
“We want to see that number grow significantly, so we're ... putting the right incentives in place to help drive it,” says Hartman. “At the same token we're being smart about it. We want to make sure that, for the people who do it, it's right for them.”
Mac Tools’ recent update to its business software MBA 7.5 will help in this effort as well, as the software now offers features such as visibility into multiple routes and the ability to combine reports.
A new take on tooling
Hartman took over as president of Mac Tools in 2018. Since then, he and his team have been working to maximize manufacturing and production efforts. This includes the continuation of moving key product lines back to the states, setting up manufacturing for part of its cordless line in North Carolina, acquiring additional tool storage facilities, establishing expansion capabilities in the Georgetown, Ohio plant and finally sharing tooling across all locations.
Mac Tools will also continue its hard drive to develop new products this year. The company is expecting a good year in hardlines, specifically with the launch of its Rounded Bolt Removal Technology (RBRT) line.
“Honestly, one of the most exciting things for me is to see the excitement in our hand tools booth,” says Hartman. “For me, it's the core of what we do, and it [can be] a hard space to innovate in. When you design technology in that space it sticks around for a while, and when it helps somebody do their job faster and better, it will absolutely allow you to win the game a lot faster.”
In diagnostics, the new Repair Source software launch (and training) was also a big draw at the show. Mac Tools Vice President of Marketing Robert Holmes says user feedback on the software has been “unbelievable.” “We feel right now, more than any other time in the history of Mac Tools ... that we have a very strong diagnostic offering that puts us in a position to win. Any technology advances very rapidly, so, we can't rest on our laurels; we’ve got to continue to advance.”
Diagnostic training on the show floor, combined with traditional classroom sessions, filled up quickly over the course of the weekend. “There’s still a real hunger for [diagnostic training],” says Holmes.
Finally, Hartman announced it will be expanding the cordless offerings within its top-selling power tool category.
“We see ... what's happening with battery and air and we’re going to make sure that we still see growth in both categories,” says Hartman. “If we're still able to see growth within [the air] space, that means we're bringing new stuff to market. I don't believe air's going away tomorrow, but we're seeing that trend.”
The company is strategically focused on manufacturing its cordless tools in the U.S., and Mac Tool’s connection with global materials, and Mac Tools' connection with DeWalt under the organization’s parent company, Stanley Black & Decker, means cordless products for the professional automotive market and those of neighboring professional markets can share a battery platform.
Hartman points out that a benefit of being part of a larger family means having the resources and personnel in place to explore innovation coming down the line. “You can't ignore today's cars, but you’ve got to be looking for tomorrow's as well,” Hartman says regarding coming trends in electrification, adding “We want to make sure that we're keeping focused on the professional tool and the professional technician. That's key for us.”
Power to sell
The 81-year-old tool company strives to grow, diversify and innovate while staying true to its legacy of well made, quality products.
In addition to brands like DeWalt, Mac Tools is joined by Lenox under the Stanley Black & Decker umbrella.
“We'll continue to look for those cross-opportunities to give our franchisees more power to sell on their trucks, where it makes sense. And the key thing we want to make sure that we always retain is that our Mac Tool dealers are professional tool dealers. They’re going to sell professional tools,” says Hartman.
On Friday evening the company held its annual “Macademy Awards” program to recognize the top distributors of 2018. Dinner was topped off by a live performance by contemporary, post-grunge rock band Good Boy Daisy.
Hartman says that the annual weekend featuring vendors, training and tools are an invaluable opportunity for everyone to learn, grow and connect. “Sometimes what's always worked, works best when we're face to face.”
