Tell us about your company and why you are attending Sensors Expo & Conference 2018.
Rutronik are new to North America and new to the electronics industry, so we're trying to get our name out to all potential customers so they know about us.
Our corporate headquarters are based in Plano, Texas and we have warehouses in Austin, Texas. We also have satellite offices in northern California and in Boston. Soon we will add an additional one in Minnesota. In Europe, our head office is in Ispringen, Germany.
Rutronik were formed 40 years ago and were primarily focused on automotive and industrial applications. However, in the Untied States, we've only been running since 2015. It started in Ohio, and then moved to Dallas to be more centrally located.
Is there a particular product you are showcasing this year?
We're trying to leverage automotive and industrial products, but also just recognizing the line card we have got. One line in particular is our passive components, because we are quite a big deal across Europe. The passive suppliers were really interested, so we have been able to populate the line card much quicker. We think that we would just try and get about six or seven of our suppliers from the companies who have got stands here at the conference
A big part of the way that Rutronik does things in Europe is based on trade fairs. We are always at Electronica, Better World, BCM and SENSOR+TEST. Sensors Expo & Conference is important to us as a company, which is why we had to choose to come. We've got the strongest line card and a significant story to tell.
We have brought our elements of industrial automation, as well as elements of automotive, because people can talk about autonomous driving. But also, there is the IOT and the explosion of ideas that are coming out of the sensor technologies.
Where do you see that sensors trend going, and how your products going to cope with the changes as things progress?
The ideas are contagious. People see the technology and what someone does with it and get inspired. If people are trying things out, we are more than happy to support them. They could be really anywhere and everywhere. Therefore having local sales support is important. We have got that clearly in place in Europe. We have as many sales offices as anyone.
We have got that sort of mentality. We are starting small but building quickly, with the idea of trying to get people close to the customers.
What do you think makes you unique in the marketplace?
There is a long term commitment towards our suppliers and towards our customers. Most of them have been with us for a long time.
There is the way that we manage our service; even things like the delivery. We are also providing the sales as a broad line distributor. We are available to sell stock here.
We don't just give our stock to the customer who pays the highest price. Sometimes if a product is difficult to get hold of or we only have 6 months worth of stock, with no guarantee of replenishment, and a customer needs it in a few months time, we will hold it for them. Even though we could sell it to another customer who needs it desperately, we value our relationships with our current customers and want them to remain strong. This is different from a lot of our competitors. They have got to get some results and they have not got the luxury to pass on that sale and keep it back.
Furthermore we think one of our strategies is not to over-build the suppliers. Other distributors have as many lines that begin with A as we have on our whole line card. We try and stay within our means so that we are just as important to our supplier and customers as they are to us.
What industries do you cover?
Officially, 48% of our business is automotive, and 43% of our business is industrial (including IoT), the rest is limited to certain customers.
Industrial examples are factory automation, motor control and motor drives. Probably the single biggest part of it is it is a very regional, fragmented, and local business. There is not just one mammoth industrial customer, it is a broad selection.
Germany's famous for having the medium-sized customers and local champions. That ties very much in with the industrial space. We are looking for the local champions of America as well. Fortunately with sensors and with wireless and the IOT space, we have got something that resonates with customers here as well.
Is there any new technology that you are promoting currently?
We would say that two of our messages are, purely from a sensors point view, the line card and different alternative suppliers. Some have just brought a fresh product out. Others have still got things in their portfolio that have a lot of time as they are still very valid.
It is just pretty much showing the breadth of the portfolio.
Traditionally, with sales offices, we sell through people. But, we know that the world is becoming more and more online. With Rutronik 24 we have offered the opportunity to buy online as well. Full availability, people have access to the full availability. We will say, with Rutronik 24, people can access a high volume price and the repurchase. We then extend that to the broad customer base. Secondly, it is also going be the gateway to a product parameter database.
In the case of stock that is difficult to get hold of, we will put an alternative and the alternative will be based on the parameters. We will also show the stock availability and the pricing for those alternatives and say, "If you're interested then you can click on the button and get directed to someone who can give you some support."