[archiver]

Posted by Andy Baker, Engineer on team #45, TechnoKats, from Kokomo High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.

Posted on 3/19/99 8:44 AM MST


In Reply to: more to the story... posted by Joe Johnson on 3/18/99 6:23 PM MST:




Joe,

Good points. Beleive me, I don't want to step on the toes of a good
supplier, especially when they are doing us and FIRST a valuable service
by donating some very good motors. Also, I personally apprectiate people
like you who bust their behind to get suppliers like Globe to donate
motors to FIRST.

I understand that as Globe is an automotive supplier, they sell possibly
millions of these motors. Therefore, their profits are very small per
motor, especially after WWP (purchasing) got ahold of 'em! So, someone
who wants to buy 1 or 2 at a time is not worth their time.

But,... (you **knew** there'd be a but)

With all of this considered, they STILL have a booth at a prominent design
show which I have attended for many years, and they are trying to sell
motors to people who attend this show. In my opinion, any vendor at this
show should be able to sell to not only huge accounts, but also small
quantities. Most people who attend this show are from much smaller
companies than Delphi.

Let's say that our team doesn't need and spare Globe Motors. As an
engineer, using their motor on our robot and seeing their booth at the
design show, I suddenly think "hey, I could use that neat Globe Motor
to power a conveyor line I'm designing at work. I know what that motor
can do, and I want to buy from Globe 'cause they were sooo generous in
donating motors to FIRST." So I ask the salesman that I want to buy 2
of the same size (and reduction) motor that I used on the FIRST robot.
I would be surprized if he said "no". Granted, I'm going to have to pay
more for them, since I'm not ordering 100,000, but he'd still sell them
to me.

That's why he's there at the trade show. He's trying to sell motors.
The motor is already developed, designed, and a proven good product.
It's just gonna cost me more due to the small order. Also, he told
me which distributor reps my area, so I can buy through them. The
distributor takes care of all of the tedious paperwork and overhead
that Globe doesn't want to deal with. That's why they have distributors.
The distributor would mark it up, and we'd pay for it.

I would think that the above case is one of the many reasons why Globe
is donating motors to FIRST anyway... to get guys like you and me to like
and use their motors in our "real jobs".

Well, that's my take, for what it's worth.

I'll agree that we shouldn't buy from them, since FIRST and you both
say so, and I repect both you and Eric.

Regards,
Andy Baker
TechnoKat Engineer