Grimco Purchases Proveer

[BigfishDM]

The whole printing for customers instead of referring that business to one of their accounts is not right and not fair either since they can beat anyone's price.

 

[HulkSmash]

Incorrect. There arent "pricing structures" for different customers. A better way of phrasing would be to simply understand that some companies sell more of a particular item or brand than others, therefore, they move it higher quantities and can get better volume pricing and then offer better pricing to the end user.

I've told customers a bunch of times if I can't get it to them for the price they need they can call this person or that person.

Are there price breaks for someone who orders 50 rolls a month of 210G as opposed to the guy who buys one roll? Naturally but that's a bulk deal not an individual pricing structure

Incorrect? Not at all. I might charge someone 2700 for a van wrap. Next week, same wrap I could sell for 2400. All depends on the situation. As for bulk, obviously that affects it, but it doesn't have to be bulk of 1 specific product.

 

[DRamm76]

Incorrect? Not at all. I might charge someone 2700 for a van wrap. Next week, same wrap I could sell for 2400. All depends on the situation. As for bulk, obviously that affects it, but it doesn't have to be bulk of 1 specific product.

That's a competitor beating your price not a dealer selling materials at one price to one customer and then something to another..
See..it's apparently ok to call up a dealer and beat them up on price for equipment but when it happens to you guys out in the field, it's no longer funny.

 

[ProWraps]

That's a competitor beating your price not a dealer selling materials at one price to one customer and then something to another..
See..it's apparently ok to call up a dealer and beat them up on price for equipment but when it happens to you guys out in the field, it's no longer funny.

i think i can speak for pretty much everyone on here when i say YOU NEED TO GET LAID.

 

[HulkSmash]

That's a competitor beating your price not a dealer selling materials at one price to one customer and then something to another..
See..it's apparently ok to call up a dealer and beat them up on price for equipment but when it happens to you guys out in the field, it's no longer funny.

Nice Logic. WAY THE SAME.

Hell yeah I beat them up on pricing.
I'm buying a 25k-100k machine, not 12 yard signs.

 

[tsgstl]

There is no special code all suppliers obey as far as discount pricing. Just tell a rep that you pay x from supplier b and they will match it. They either can or can't but I have never seen a can't EVER. "franchise pricing" is a joke. It means nothing unless you never ask for it. Sure larger companies pay less for some if not all of what they buy. But if you buy enough of something (1000 sheets vs. 1) you can pay that same price.

Don't get me wrong I'm not a price shopper. I just want a good relationship with my supply company. You take care of me.... I'll be loyal.

If Grimco carried: Oracal, main tape, or Arlon they will gain my business. They already have all my friends working there.

 

[CentralSigns]

Grimco is also a company that prints signs and banners for anyone who walks off the streets. They will sell you products and then take money right out of your other pocket.

And I wouldnt be too sure about them selling Oracal. Just because you purchase a dealer that sells Oracal doesnt mean you automatically become a dealer for that product. There's a lot of legal stuff and red tape to go through.

Proveer Canada already sell both products(Avery and Oracal). In fact they have for over a year now.

 

[MPW270]

Grimco is also a company that prints signs and banners for anyone who walks off the streets. They will sell you products and then take money right out of your other pocket.

Your statement about selling to end users and competing against the sign shops is false and inaccurate.

1: Grimco is committed to being a wholesale supplier to the sign industry. Grimco does not sell to end users or cities/municipalities. If someone walks in off the street or calls in without a pre-approved account, they will be qualified as a new customer and legit reseller. If they cannot answer some specific questions knowledgably and accurately that identify them as legit sign producer, they will be referred to a local shop.

2: Grimco does not design or print custom banners, vinyl, wraps, etc.

3: Grimco manufactures traffic signs and custom legend aluminum signs which can only be purchased by resellers in the "sign industry" or "traffic industry". (IE Sign Shops or Traffic Control Sign Shops)

If anyone has any questions about which products Grimco will be supplying after the Proveer acquisition, please call your local Grimco Rep:
1-800-542-9941

 

[BigfishDM]

Your statement about selling to end users and competing against the sign shops is false and inaccurate.

1: Grimco is committed to being a wholesale supplier to the sign industry. Grimco does not sell to end users or cities/municipalities. If someone walks in off the street or calls in without a pre-approved account, they will be qualified as a new customer and legit reseller. If they cannot answer some specific questions knowledgably and accurately that identify them as legit sign producer, they will be referred to a local shop.

2: Grimco does not design or print custom banners, vinyl, wraps, etc.

3: Grimco manufactures traffic signs and custom legend aluminum signs which can only be purchased by resellers in the "sign industry" or "traffic industry". (IE Sign Shops or Traffic Control Sign Shops)

If anyone has any questions about which products Grimco will be supplying after the Proveer acquisition, please call your local Grimco Rep:
1-800-542-9941

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Bigdawg]

I just want to say I deal with both Proveer and Grimco out of their Tampa area branches... and if Grimco is smart - they'll keep those Proveer customer services folks (Diane and Dan). They are the reason we continue to buy from Proveer - not the sales people (although I have to thank them for sharpening their pencil for us) - but because they take care of us in a very personal way.

Grimco has also worked hard for our business. But they don't carry my Oracal print media - and I'm not willing to change. So for us this is a win-win situation if they can keep the product line. I've heard things are going to change over on June 1st so, we'll see what happens...

 

[Freese]

Grimco is also a company that prints signs and banners for anyone who walks off the streets. They will sell you products and then take money right out of your other pocket.

And I wouldnt be too sure about them selling Oracal. Just because you purchase a dealer that sells Oracal doesnt mean you automatically become a dealer for that product. There's a lot of legal stuff and red tape to go through.

Last time I checked, Grimco offers no print services, outside of screen printing traffic signs.

 

[HulkSmash]

Last time I checked, Grimco offers no print services, outside of screen printing traffic signs.

It's true, I've gotten quite a few jobs from them from referral. Why would they do that if they do the work in house?

fail.

 

[tsgstl]

I just want to say I deal with both Proveer and Grimco out of their Tampa area branches... and if Grimco is smart - they'll keep those Proveer customer services folks (Diane and Dan). They are the reason we continue to buy from Proveer - not the sales people (although I have to thank them for sharpening their pencil for us) - but because they take care of us in a very personal way.

Grimco has also worked hard for our business. But they don't carry my Oracal print media - and I'm not willing to change. So for us this is a win-win situation if they can keep the product line. I've heard things are going to change over on June 1st so, we'll see what happens...

If history repeats itself they will do what they can to keep all staff. They know that we have relationships with the reps and staff. There will obviously be shuffling around to compensate space. So some employees just might not want to commute across town if whatever location they choose doesn't fit them. It seems Grimco has treated existing employees the best they can. Just ask cough MPW270 cough cough.

10+ years ago Grimco owned the majority of the FastSign franchises hear in St. Louis, it did not sit well with the St. Louis market. I think they learned that was not good for their supply end.

I really hope this works out well for everybody. This move makes Grimco the best full complete on every end supplier that I can think of. I'm fine with getting everything from one place, it is just easier that way. They have always been fair on pricing. Here in St. Louis we still have Fellers, N. Glantz, and a locally owned supplier to keep them in check.

 

[Suz]

Daniel,

If what you say here about Grimco is correct, I'd stop purchasing from Grimco. Every $ counts. I'm going to do a little asking around about this because I agree, this would be a case of a Supplier taking money right out of your pocket if they sold you the goods to do the job, yet beat you to the sale.

Hopefully this is not true as I recently began using Grimco.Price is important, Customer Service is more important. I go out of my way and even pay a bit more when I feel that I'm being treated the right way. I do plan to call the person posting to this thread (looks like a Grimco Representative) to answer my questions about them selling signs and banners that compete with my products and services to anyone off the street. If not true, I'd continue buying from them.

Here is an example of a similar situation. I've been buying tee shirts and screen-printable garments for about 28 years from the same supplier (WA State). After about 5 years of buying from them wholesale, I discovered a portion of my Customers with any type of business license purchasing the garments from this Dealer directly, then bringing the garments to me for screenprinting. This decreased my potential profit (and my pricing was very reasonable on screenprinting).It also put me in a situation where I could not guarantee a printed garment to my Customer because if anything went wrong with their order, how could I ever afford to replace the shirts when I did not buy them (?). I quit buying from the Supplier, call it boycott if you will and continued this for quite a few years, until I heard that they no longer were selling wholesale to non-screenprint or non-garment decorating Companies. I called them to make sure this was true. Sure enough, it was true. Yay! They had figured it out!!! Apparently, they'd lost more business than mine and changed their ways. So, now I do buy from them again.

Just my 2 cents and my story.

Thanks!

Grimco is also a company that prints signs and banners for anyone who walks off the streets. They will sell you products and then take money right out of your other pocket.

And I wouldnt be too sure about them selling Oracal. Just because you purchase a dealer that sells Oracal doesnt mean you automatically become a dealer for that product. There's a lot of legal stuff and red tape to go through.

 

[ThinkRight]

Daniel,

If what you say here about Grimco is correct, I would stop purchasing from Grimco. I'm a small business and every $ I make is a big deal. Why be in business otherwise? I'm going to do a little asking around about this because I agree, this would be a case of a Supplier taking money right out of your pocket when they've sold you the products to make the same signs and banners, yet beat you to the sale.

So, hopefully this is not true as I recently began using Grimco. Bad start with them, but once an employee that I did not much like left, I started feeling better about buying from them.

For me, price is important, but Customer Service is more important. I'll go out of my way and even pay a bit more when I feel that I'm being treated the right way.

I do plan to call the person (looks like a Grimco Representative) to answer my questions about them selling signs and banners that compete with my products and services to anyone off the street. If it is happening in my area or in another area, I would definately go out of my way to purchase my supplies elsewhere. If this isn't true, I'd continue buying from them.

Here is an example of a similar situation. I've been buying tee shirts and other screen-printable garments for about 28 years from the same supplier (WA State). After about 5 years of buying from them wholesale, I discovered a good portion of my Customers purchasing the garments from this Dealer directly, then bringing the garments to me. Not only did this decrease my profit (and my pricing was very reasonable) but it put me in a situation where I could no longer guarantee anything to my Customers because if anything went wrong with their order, how could I ever afford to replace the shirts when I did not buy them (?). I quit buying from the Company for quite a few years, until I heard that they no longer were selling wholesale to non-screenprint or non-garment decorating Companies. I called them to make sure this was true. Sure enough, it was true. Yay! They had figured it out!!! Apparently, they'd lost more business than mine and changed their ways. So, now I do buy from them again.

Just my 2 cents and my story.

Thanks!

Sometimes you have to just stand your ground and be a smart business owner / customer .
In general, all companies in every field have let customer service not even enter the SOP of the daily operations.
Bad service has gotten to be the normal , and I hate it.
Service used to be the driving force of business, but now bottom line and high volume has taken it's place.

 

[Suz]

Thanks! I tried to shorten up my long winded post by editing it. Didn't shorten it up too much, oh well! Customer Service is still very important, isn't it?

I have to say though, so far so good since I started buying from Grimco. I wasn't sure at first, then a few months later I did start to purchase from them and I am on their delivery route. So, the experience with them thus far has been good and they have been pleasant to work with and I certainly cannot complain. Their Customer Service is excellent. However, I'd switch in a heartbeat if they sold to my Customer base. I'm loyal, hope they are too.

Sometimes you have to just stand your ground and be a smart business owner / customer ....
Service used to be the driving force of business, but now bottom line and high volume has taken it's place.

 

[HulkSmash]

Suz, it's not true -- don't worry about it.

 

[Freese]

Suz, it's not true -- don't worry about it.

.

Save the phone call....

 

[tsgstl]

Just got off of the phone with them.
Oracal has decided to pull the plug on the deal. The answer I was told is that Grimco is too big for them to be able to carry. This is ridiculous I can only think it has to do with the man in the hat. I really just want one exclusive supplier to get everything from. I am not a price shopper I just want decent service from one vendor. I can change my pricing based on what my vendor charges me. I don't want to make five phone calls to get my stuff. I wrap with 3m but my bread and butter decal sales have been with 3164g and my client prefers I stay that way.

N.Glantz just opened up in St. Louis so I guess until I switch my vinyl they will get a big chunk of my business. It just sucks because all of my friends have been gobbled up by Grimco's recent purchases and I would really just rather use them.

 

[idsignsil]

I am also glad to see N.Glantz in St. Louis. I spoke with Brandon down there and he said they were working on getting a truck running up my way.