With over 1,200 distributors and nearly 100 vendors, this year’s annual Matco Tools Expo was one of their highest attended yet, notes Bryan Kaufman, marketing communications manager for Matco Tools. The event was held in San Antonio from Feb. 19-22 offering distributors the chance to find new tools to stock their trucks, attend training events, and reunite with old friends.
What’s new?
This year’s expo came with the exciting announcement that Milwaukee Tool would be partnering with Matco’s Cordless Infinium line.
“There was a lot of excitement around the addition of Milwaukee,” Kaufman says, “and both their training session and impressive show floor booth were very well received.”
Also showcased at the event, Matco’s 360-degree diagnostic portfolio—especially one of their newest releases, the Maximus TPMS 3.0 Diagnostic Tool. The pocket-sized TPMS tool features an icon-based touchscreen, one-touch wireless Wi-Fi updates, built-in OBD-II, and a customizable background color interface.
The 16V Cordless Infinium 3/8” Sealed Head Ratchet Kits were another hit at the show. The ratchet’s sealed head prevents dust and debris from clogging up the inner components of the tool, increasing its durability. Additionally, the forward/reverse lever is located at the bottom of the tool head, making directional changes easier in tight spaces.
Distributors also saw a new color launch for some of Matco’s hand tools. Customers will now be able to purchase purple flex-head ratchets and pry bars. A few other fun, new products at the show included Matco-branded cornhole boards, hairdryers, and foam dart guns.
The Milwaukee partnership wasn’t the only one announced at the show. Matco has also partnered with Bumpboxx to create a Matco-exclusive soundbar.
App Updates
After its launch last year, Matco has continued to improve its app.
“We expanded the team and implemented a regular cadence for releasing improvements,” Kaufman says. “There were various performance and user experience updates made throughout the year—most notably, the addition of our promo flyers to the app and enhancements that offer different deal types.”
Training
Training at the event consisted of training sessions on the new Milwaukee product offerings, diagnostics sales training, business management training, and a variety of demos on the show floor. The business management training covered all stages of any given disturber’s career—from those just staring out to those planning to retire.
“The diagnostic training was very well attended, and there was a lot of interest from our distributors in the advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) demo on the show floor,” Kaufman notes.
Next year’s Matco Tools Expo is scheduled for Feb. 24-28 at the Orlando, Fla. Marriot World Center Resort.
To view more photos of the event, check out the Matco Tools Expo 2023 photo gallery.
