So, Trotec buys Engravers Network--

--which sells Universal, Vision and FiberEtch equipment...

Have to wonder what Universal, Vision and FiberEtch have to say about that? Seems to be a bit of a conflict of interest, but whaddoIknow? :D

--any thoughts?

You assuming they will continue selling them?

Nah, that won't happen, but I've been wondering about Universal, been getting several 'Universal Lasers On Sale!' emails lately; wondering it they're losing too much biz to the Chinese. I don't really know...

6 of my bigger customers started out as 3 companies, where someone from each company left and started a competing company. Since I do all the engraving for all of them, I'm always getting the latest gossip, which gets interesting at times. Might be fun to listen in to the goings-on at the new Engravers Nework about now ;)

Hopefully everyone will benefit :)

This is not Trotec's first foray into associated fields. My recollection is that they acquired a distributor in Florida a few years back. I believe it was a Universal distributor.

From my limited experience, Engravers Network was a company I liked to do business with.

I have zero knowledge about this transaction, I learned about it from you Kev, but years ago when we bought our Universal at the time, I became friends with the dealer. He was a good guy (still is). At that time Universal gave him his territory and no one crossed into other's territory. It allowed him to make a living selling Universal lasers. Then, out of no where, Universal started selling to wholesale sign suppliers for resale and slashed the money he could make. He told me they had cut him down to $600 per machine. He said by the time he took the initial call, did the demo, provided the quote, handled the sale, showed up and installed the machine, and then fielded any questions that he wasn't making any money. He sold his business and went into some other aspect of the business as a sales manager. For Universal, it seemed like lasers were a commodity. They didn't seem to appreciate the value of a skilled sales force and installation team.

Trotec is very well run and they have grown exponentially since we first started dealing with them.

It's like Land Rover and Jaguar.

Different markets.

Trotec are Jaguar, UL are Land Rover.

They don't compete as much as they fill different niches.

screenshot of all I know about it :)

http://www.engraver1.com/other/ent.jpg