Sutphen/KME Dealer

[chief60]

The  Sutphen dealer in Florida now sells KME also. I don't really care except when asked the dealer commented that there are car dealerships that sell multiple brands. I don't know about any of you but I want a dealer that believes in their products and can tell me why I should spend my 1.25 million for their aerial. I don't want to go to the Chevrolet dealer and have Ron sell me a truck that is actually from their GMC dealer because they didn't have the Chevy in red.  It doesn't matter what brand you like or prefer, you and your people should believe in the manufacturer and be willing to stand up and "sell" our the benefits of your product line. All this seems like is hey I just want your money and I will sell you anything I can to get your money. Not to mention how to you in good faith bid on an open contract? You can't bid both, I know our city wouldn't allow it, leaves way too much room for collusion and price fixing.  Am I wrong about this?

[edburke]

Is it one company (i.e. Acme Fire apparatus) or multiple companies owned by one individual (i.e. Acme Sutphen, Acme KME?) If it is the latter, it would not legally be the same entity bidding on contracts. There are people here in Massachusetts that own multiple ambulance companies and bid on contracts with multiple companies all the time. Also, unless specifically forbidden or limited by the bid, it is not illegal to place multiple bids on a contract as long as they are not identical, which they would not be if they were from different manufacturers. It is well known that bid specifications are written with combinations that only one manufacturer can meet, further narrowing the available pool of bidders to get the manufacturer they want.

As far as representing multiple manufacturers, is/was there a KME rep in the area? How many departments are using Sutphen? More importantly, how many departments wouldn't touch Sutphen with a 10 foot pole? Representing only one manufacturer limits what you can sell due to other people's biases, not your lack of commitment to your product. As long as you are committed to the quality of the manufacturers you represent, it only allows you options to give to the customer.