Jack from CHINA tractor factory, say hello to everyone here

[daugen]

We want to be the new competitor of those big brand company, such like Land pride, Bush hog, Rhino

Jack,
for a seven month old company trying to take on these top quality companies with mostly copied design products, you have
a very steep hill to climb. There are many US companies that are trying to do the same thing, they have the marketing benefit
of Made In USA which really does count for something here, and I think in many countries. For example, look at Everything Attachments
website. They are aimed at the lower cost market as you are. They make many of their own implements, and take great pride in their work.

Let's say their middlebuster/potato plow is $150. How are you going to compete against that? A better plow with an added feature?
Or just lower cost? And how are you going to ship a hundred pound product, or a thousand pound product, to a foreign country with today's shipping costs and make money on this? If I as an American consumer can buy this plow made in the US for a relatively low price, where is your
product's value?

Jack, you may want to compete with these big US or foreign ag implement companies, but perhaps your company should walk before it tries to run. You would do much better targeting what we call here a "hobby farmer". And yes, some hobby farmers can afford top quality equipment and buy a $3000 Land Pride box blade when you have one for $400. It isn't always low price; many of us buy an implement "for life" and want good equipment to work with. Lowest price is NOT always the selling point. Consumers want good value, good performance, long life and if need be, fast parts and service from a local dealer. No one will buy your tiller if they can't buy a replacement parts easily.

Jack, study the Everything Attachment website, and the Tractor Supply Co site. Consider what they offer to customers, advice, service, parts, etc. That is a "package" of value, not just a piece of iron or steel.

Any distributor that will consider your products will face the same challenges.
Perhaps there is room for a lower price point for a similar item, but if you don't address the quality and performance issue head on, and
be able to show the value of your product to the distributor, you will be just another copycat builder that can only compete on price.

 

[Pixguy]

Are we really trying to help, albeit a nice guy, but who wants to put American workers and companies out of business with copied low priced items?

Just saying......

 

[trktrman]

Are we really trying to help, albeit a nice guy, but who wants to put American workers and companies out of business with copied low priced items?

Just saying......

Yes, I agree. He started out subtle, but is getting down to business now. May be time for an intervention.:confused3:

 

[daugen]

Are we really trying to help, albeit a nice guy, but who wants to put American workers and companies out of business with copied low priced items?

Just saying......

And you should say it, and we can't dance around this. I bought a subsoiler from ETA because it was made in this country, and I knew that
a dozen guys were making that plow and their wages support a lot of local people, including their families.
And yet I occasionally go to Harbor Freight, as do many, many members of this forum. And I don't think any of us feel unpatriotic doing so.

The most effective thing Jack's company, or any foreign company could do is show all their staff together, with their families.
Show that they truly care about the quality of their product and their workmanship. Put a human face on their marketing; we may be in China but we are just like you.... Well, no, politically you sure aren't, but on a personal basis, the smile on Jack's face when he picks up his laughing twin girls isn't any different than the smiles of fathers all over the world.

Because of the low cost/low quality tradition of most Chinese manufacturing, any new players can only compete in the lowest cost market, or
they MUST innovate. Why can't Chinese engineers make a better plow? When you make products "better" in a way you show you care about quality. Sooner or later those low wages in China will have to rise, and the current low labor cost will rise to begin to level that playing field.
The Chinese are not going to breath polluted air forever. Their young engineers are not going to want to just perform reverse engineering, a euphemism for copying.

But until then, I will buy my important purchases from a company that takes pride in its work. And someone who takes pride in a good copy is not going to get a warm welcome from many of us. Almost like counterfeiting money.

Mercedes assigns one person to take responsibility for their AMG engines and he "signs" the engine when it's done.
That isn't going to happen in the farm implement business, but the lesson is one to learn.

All companies check out their competitors' products. But checking them out and copying them is very different.
We see copying as cheating, and why do business with a cheater?
There, it is said. Jack needs to understand this sensitivity, needs to make sure his company can show some innovation of their own.

There is a tradition of helping others in this forum. Jack brings a different perspective to us. And if I were Ted from ETA, I'd be following this thread carefully. I think the feedback from this forum has helped ETA to be more successful. Maybe it will help Jack's company, but
not sure about their marketing position. Taking on Land Pride and Rhino seems futile to me for a start up company. Maybe their lowest priced line, and maybe those companies don't make 100% of their products in the US, so there is some outsourcing/rebranding possibilities.

 

[daugen]

Yes, I agree. He started out subtle, but is getting down to business now. May be time for an intervention.:confused3:

c'mon guys, he came on the site to make friends and learn our market. He told us that from the beginning. But we've been pestering him for more info, and now that we have it, perhaps more discretion would be appropriate. I tend to want to help anyone, but your remarks
are sinking in.

 

[creekbend]

Are we really trying to help, albeit a nice guy, but who wants to put American workers and companies out of business with copied low priced items?

Just saying......

Until now, I have been hesitant to post on this thread and only once. I just wish that this thread was in another Forum.

 

[Kryton619]

I live just outside of Toronto....home of one of the largest "China Towns" in North America. Patents mean nothing to the Chinese. A walk through a Chinese mall in Toronto quickly proves this fact. Whether it be women's hand bags, watches, Hollywood movies (DVDs), American silver eagle coins, golf clubs or tractor implements.....they blatantly rip off the designs of American and Canadian companies that have spent a huge amount of money doing research and development. They copy these designs using inferior materials / workmanship and have the audacity in many cases to stamp the original manufacturer's name on the product. This is theft!!

Don't get me wrong Jack...I have nothing against you but I find it amusing that you state that your company copied (stole) other company's products and yet you want to patent new products that you manufacture.

I would have a lot more respect for Chinese made products if you actually improved on the design, and had better quality control.

 

[Pixguy]

c'mon guys, he came on the site to make friends and learn our market. He told us that from the beginning. But we've been pestering him for more info, and now that we have it, perhaps more discretion would be appropriate. I tend to want to help anyone, but your remarks
are sinking in.

For what it's worth Jack, I only wish for you and your family the very best.

Second, I agree and I welcomed him and followed this from the start because I am interested in how folks live in other areas and think he's like most of us but when he started to list American made implements and stated that it's his business to copy them to market against them, that in my opinion makes me speak up, to protect my neighbor, especially a sponsor on this forum(ETA), which makes it free for all of us.

BTW, I realize your advise is your business and is still free speech.....well, at least in our country.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

China may not overtake America this century after all - Telegraph

I appreciate Jack sharing with us. While China's tractor factories have several things going for them today the last graph seems clear to me about long term factors. The better we understand other countries and their pluses and minuses the better we can process the potential future with minimum emotional reaction. The collapse of China tractor factories concerns me more about world stability than their mega success potential. Just from Harbor Freight I do see actual improvement in both design and quality control.

 

[daugen]

BTW, I realize your advise is your business and is still free speech.....well, at least in our country.

thank you. I hope the advice was good, and it was just general business advice; I had a background in marketing and sales and
felt I was doing the retired advisor bit. ETA never asked for my advice, btw...

If Jack has learned anything here, it's that we are a pretty nice group of people with common interests and a common concern for fair play.
And we are careful about not biting the hand that feeds us, particularly if that hand is honorable.
Jack, I hope you stick with us, but maybe as an individual, a father, a tractor owner, a grower of food. Your experiences are welcome, but perhaps a discussion of business strategy on how to compete with US companies is not a good idea for a public forum.