C hairs can be a pain in the butt — literally! I know, they’re supposed to allow people to sit down and be comfortable, but when you have to buy them and maintain them, they can drive you crazy. But they are the mainstays of our business, so we have to be responsible for purchasing the proper chair for the proper purpose, and ensuring the safety of our clientele.
You’d think that buying chairs would be easy, but it is not. There are so many complicated issues underlying our choices that it is easy to end up with the wrong product or perhaps even a defective product. Complicating that is the fact that there are so many suppliers, and so many types and styles of seating. Furthermore, most of them are imported. McCourt Manufacturing is the only supplier that manufactures its chairs domestically.
That being said, I must admit that importing chairs has its advantages. Obviously, because of low labor costs in some countries, the price of the end product comes down. The problem is that due to the intense competition of suppliers in this country, it is possible for the quality of the product to be sacrificed in order to be able to offer a lower price.
In Chairs from China: is the party over? (Rental Management, November 2002, page 53), writer Pamela Mills-Senn delves deeply into the problems and reasons for the recent import duties applied to chairs. I’d like to know how a supplier with a 70-percent import duty can compete with a supplier that has a 14-percent tariff and still maintain quality.
And believe me, this very thing is happening. There can be two neighboring factories in Asia, with the same labor cost and the same freight costs, yet the one with the 70-percent duty can offer a lower price than the one with the 14-percent duty. I’m afraid that the lower price might not come from lower profits, but from lower quality of the product.
I recently interviewed Drew Delametter, president of Resilient Furniture. You will recall from my last column that upon the demise of the previous manufacturer of Samsonite chairs, Cosco purchased the rights to the name and Scholar Craft purchased the manufacturing assets from Strategic Industries. Strategic was the licensee of Samsonite. Samsonite never owned or operated this manufacturing facility. In other words, Samsonite is simply a trade name that is licensed to the manufacturer. Delametter, a former Samsonite general manager and vice president – sales and marketing, formed Resilient Furniture, which employs many former Samsonite employees and occupies the former Samsonite factory. The demise of one firm gave rise to three more firms, resulting in 24 polyethylene flat-folding chair exhibitors at our last convention.
Delametter explained the complexities of manufacturing what seems to be a simple product. The frame should be high-grade steel, properly tempered. If it’s too soft, it will bend. If it’s too hard, it will fracture. The rivets must be a high-standard, zinc-plated product to prevent separating and rusting. The vinyl must be virgin polypropylene. If re-grind (recycled) vinyl is used, it will greatly reduce the strength of the back and seat, encouraging cracking and breakage. The foot caps must stay on and be able to drain moisture. Then the finish of the frame must be properly formulated and applied to prevent peeling, corrosion, etc. So, it ain’t as easy as it seems.
Remember, a cheap chair can be expensive. The cost of maintenance and frequent replacement can escalate. And don’t forget the increase in your insurance premiums if someone is injured on a defective chair.
So who should you buy your chairs from? Obviously, you must ask each potential supplier about the quality of their product. They’re all going to tell you how wonderful their chairs are, far superior to the competition. Therefore, you have to ask more piercing questions. I hope the points mentioned above will help you.
You also have to ask about the firm’s guarantees. Will they replace defective chairs at no cost to you for either product or freight? What do they define as “defective”? How long will they honor their commitment? Do you have to pay up front? (A big no-no if your credit is good). Is the guarantee in writing? The answers to these questions will help you determine not only the quality of the product, but the character of the firm.
These principals apply to every product you buy. Good luck!!
The Special Event
Special Events magazine held its show in Orlando this year, Jan. 8-11. Since it was within driving distance, we drove up to see it for the first time in several years.
This is the show to go to if you want to rub elbows with caterers and party planners. You will meet many of your customers and pick up tips as to how they operate. Knowing how they operate sharpens you up for how you should operate. Although there are a couple of exceptions, the plentiful seminars are not rental-oriented, but are very good and give the rental operator a wider vision of the industry.
This event is especially noted for its fabulous parties, put together by some of the best party planners, caterers and decorators in the country.
The trade show is interesting, but of the approximately 250 exhibitors, many were not of interest to the rental dealer. Amazingly, there were more than 25 linen firms. It almost looked like a linen show. Also exhibiting were event planners, caterers, entertainers, fund-raising firms, decorating supplies, rental firms, laser shows, sign companies, restroom suppliers, trade show suppliers, etc. We even got our butts sketched — no kidding! The guy is very good, and available for parties anywhere in the country — Krandel Lee Newton, (214) 943-BUTT, e-mail obs@buttsketch.com.
Rental dealers should attend this show every few years to broaden their knowledge of the event industry.
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