PFERD Canada celebrates 10 years

PFERD Canada GM Mark Crump is seen here in the company’s warehouse.

On June 2 PFERD Canada will celebrate its 10-year anniversary. In 2019 PFERD Inc. in the U.S. turns 40 and the German parent company celebrates 220 years serving the abrasives and cutting tools market, so the team here in Canada is in good company to suggest that this is just the beginning of a long history.

Parent company founder August Rüggeberg started the business making files for blacksmiths. PFERD is the German word for “horse”; apparently Rüggeberg saw a horse jump through a flaming hoop and it was that image, a suggestion of courage, that was the inspiration for the company’s logo. The company is still family-run eight generations later.

PFERD Canada General Manager Mark Crump believes that this family-like feel in the business is one of the reasons for its success here in Canada.

“We are like a family here, and we treat our distributors and partners in a similar fashion,” he said. “We don’t stand on ceremony here at the office. Everyone comes to the table with ideas of how to help grow the business and we work on it together. And we all ‘bleed blue,’ as the expression goes. We believe in our products and act accordingly.”

Training Basics

A critical part of keeping the team motivated and knowledgeable is training, according to Crump.

“We spend a lot of time training our own people and our distributors,” he explained. “Whether it be local train-the-trainer sessions or travelling to Milwaukee or Germany, team members are always learning about what our tools can do to help our customers.”

This training is reflected in the way team members view the products and how they present them to the customers.

“We have a manual that presents the 7,200 products we sell. We don’t call it a catalogue, however, because it is a manual that can help a shop complete a variety of tasks, from the first stage of production to the completion of an assembly,” he explained. “It is a good reminder that we are not trying to sell a box of abrasives; we are selling tools that are aimed at supporting a customer’s productivity. If anyone on our team calls it a catalogue in our office, they owe a dollar to charity.”

The way his team talks about the business is important to Crump in other ways as well.

The PFERD sales team showing their colours at a recent staff meeting.

“We talk about ‘wins’ rather than ‘sales’ or ‘price,’” he said. “It’s about going to meet the customer, walking them through a demonstration of a tool or a series of tools, and ensuring they understand how they work. We never leave a new product with a client to test out themselves. If you are not used to a certain product, it is easy to use it incorrectly. For instance, with some of our CC grind products you have to let the weight of the machine do the job for you. If you lean into it too hard, it won’t last as long. It’s important to educate the end user and the distributor on this because, obviously, we can’t be there all the time.”

Market Change

Gradual changes have occurred over the past 10 years in the abrasives market, particularly the rise of the flap disc as the primary tool of choice.

“The old-fashioned grinding wheel is sort of passé now,” said Crump. “You can remove metal much better with flap discs than you used to be able to, and the technology is being further refined every year. Flap discs are much quieter, and the ergonomics have improved substantially. Abrasives purchases are all about safety nowadays, so if a company’s health and safety team see that the product produces less vibration, less dust, and performs effectively, it’s much more likely to find its way into a shop.”

Crump notes that it’s also possible to get more out of many flap discs today, provided they are used with the right tools.

“Again, it goes back to training the customer how to use the product,” said Crump. “Sometimes another product might be cheaper, but it may not be rated for the strength of the hand tools you are using. This is also a good example of why we don’t work to try to sell the cheapest product to our customers. While we do have less expensive lines, we focus more on what product is going to do the most efficient job in the safest manner.”

Canadian Market Signals

According to Crump, PFERD Canada has seen steady double-digit growth in the past 10 years, and thus far 2019 looks positive as well.

“The most positive thing right now is that sales seem to be positive across Canada rather than in pockets, which is often the way things work,” he said. “New Brunswick has come back, the mines are coming back, and the lumber industry is doing better. Even the energy sector across the country, although it has quietened, is still doing well.”

Meanwhile, Crump and his team have been working to improve delivery channels for their customers.

“We are carrying a lot more inventory to ensure speedy delivery.”

Editor Robert Colman can be reached at rcolman@canadianfabweld.com.