The direct link to installers

Next to valves, pipes and fittings, blue boxes decorate the shelves. Here, box products like the ALPHA2 are ready to find a new home at an end user. But before the pump gets that far, it takes an installer. We are at Brødrene Dahl’s shop in Viborg - only a good twenty-minute drive from Grundfos’ headquarters in Bjerringbro. Store manager of the shops in Viborg and Silkeborg, Peter Madsen, tours the store which is one out of a total of 52 spread across Denmark. He explains that being able to supply the customers with the best solutions within areas like plumbing, heating and sanitation is the key objective of the trade. And here, Grundfos’ products add value to his business.

“We have confidence in Grundfos’ products because they are both reliable and of high quality. Another positive thing about the collaboration with Grundfos is availability. We always get a prompt answer to our questions and together we always manage to find a solution if a problem occurs,” he explains.

Pass on information
As a wholesaler, the company constantly works in the cross field between suppliers and customers. Being able to help customers find the right products and solutions is the company’s finest task.

“It is exciting to be the connecting link. But it does require that we have a close dialogue with Grundfos about how the products work and what difference they make to both the installer and the end user. It is our obligation to pass on the key product differentiators to the installers, because we cannot expect them to have the broad knowledge about every single product number we have in stock,” he says and emphasises that Grundfos makes the business exciting because of the innovative and sustainable mind-set.

One of the ways for Grundfos to show installers the product portfolio is of course being visible at Brødrene Dahl’s shops. An example of this is the shop in shop concept, where branding materials together with exhibition pumps and products in boxes create an area, where customers can see the difference that Grundfos can make.

Great network
According to Sales Manager Brian Sørensen from the Danish sales subsidiary, bringing customers closer to Grundfos is of high importance. As responsible for Building Services he has close contact to the wholesaler. The cooperation with BD culminated in 2015, when Grundfos sales engineers facilitated a competition among the installers in Brødrene Dahl’s shops. Besides installing an ALPHA2 on time, they had to answer questions about the pump’s new features.  

“It has always been our ambition to keep the installers close to us in order to show them what we can offer, and if we are to succeed in this field, we need strong partnerships like the one we have with Brødrene Dahl,” says Brian Sørensen.

The collaboration with the partner goes beyond selling products. For about two years, Grundfos has been in charge of its own recycling project - a project where Brødrene Dahl was the very first wholesaler to join. Grundfos buys old pumps from the installers who in return get a discount when buying new ones. It gives employees at Grundfos’ sheltered workshop a job dismantling the pumps and sending the different parts off to recycling. Peter Madsen has only experienced positive feedback from the customers and a lot of old pumps have made their way back to the wholesaler.

“I really like that Grundfos takes responsibility for the environment. It is a good example of Grundfos’ way to do business,” the store manager says.