Closing the Loop - Linking Supply Chain to Market Strategy
EcoThermics enters the supply chain here… working with two types of manufacturers: OEM’s and Component Suppliers.
Leveraging existing brands and distribution channels.
In a delicate start-up environment, a skillfully crafted market strategy is imperative. Developing this plan means understanding the various needs of the entire channel, especially true when dealing with a revolutionary innovation such as ours. Because CO2 technologies are unfamiliar to many, we must help to educate our partners on how to leverage CO2 technology to get new products into the market. Let’s take a closer look at our supply chain:
Investors - Angel investors, joint development partners and governmental agencies including the U.S. Army are supporting this innovative technology. To each, we are obligated to educate, inform, and build increasing value. Their early vision and support has moved this technology forward.
Development Partners - We now have eight joint development partners in six states and counting. These key alliances mean we steadily build knowledge, strength, and value!
Manufacturers - In addition to several large OEM’s (original equipment manufacturers), EcoThermics works with a growing number of system component manufacturers to purchase or co-develop products such as bearings and motors. We continue to identify and develop suppliers for quick response, flexibility and effective cost management.
Distributors - Several of our partners are OEM manufacturers/distributors and have plans to incorporate EcoThermics technology into their product lines. We will leverage existing sales and distribution channels to maximize speed to market and speed to scale.
Sellers & Servicers - We must clearly understand seller and servicer needs in order to help educate manufacturers on how to sell this technology throughout their channels. EcoThermics CFO Tom Lewicki reminds, “If you want to get your proprietary ingredient into bread on store shelves, you don’t talk to the grocery stores, you want to talk to the bakers and their distributors.” Even though we will not direct market at this level, seller and servicer inputs at this stage help us to educate manufacturers on how to market the technology and create demand pull from end-users and installers.
Customers - We recently added an end-user customer to our list of partners. Plans for EcoThermics’ first customer driven field test demonstration project are underway in Ohio and we are already discussing the specific components required to begin installation and testing.
Recognizing that each link in the supply chain is vitally important, we are leveraging long-term personal relationships at every level, to build strength and increasing value for all of our stakeholders.