“At AIS,we focus on real value, better investments and partner relationships for better business.”
It is undeniable that the success of the Walmart Corporation is a story of the American Dream. An enterprising, hardworking man of little means has an idea of doing things a little different. He thinks “outside the box”, against the hard written rules of retailing and in a relatively short period of time lays the groundwork that becomes a global empire of retailing.
There are countless business and sociology lessons to be learned from the success of the Walmart Corporation, but one that I wish to explore is the change to the mindset of the purchaser. Our society has developed tunnel vision in our approach to a “good deal”. Unfortunately we now equate a good deal with getting the best price. Clever marketing, merchandising and the simplicity of one stop shopping have blurred the lines of distinction that separate one product option from another. Very rarely do we stop to question the value of the purchase. Who, where and how was the product made? Will the assembly and components of this item yield a long product life? Is this cheaper food item safe to consume? What are my other options? Can I make a better investment somewhere else? We have sold value and our values for the sake of a better price, and our laziness has closed the deal for the sake of convenience.
Unfortunately this tunnel vision to a good deal through a better price has found its way into all forms of purchasing. This flawed form of buying is not limited to daily household shopping, but this habit has found its way into business development and growth. Multimillion-dollar contracts are being awarded to the cheapest bidder and not for the investment in the best value. We have forgotten that free market enterprise is the consumer’s protection against paying more for less. With the possible exception of luxury brand merchandising, free market enterprise ensures the purchaser gets the value he or she pays for.
Market competition proves to be the insurance policy against paying too much for too little. Purchasing does not have to concede to the tunnel vision of price obsession. Trust free market enterprise to be your ally in better purchasing.
At AIS we have not lost sight of true product value and business values. We focus on real value, better investments and partner relationship for better business. Our real value comes from supplying only the finest equipment, parts and consumables. We are a distributor of only the best equipment brands. If you purchase equipment from AIS, you can be sure you are getting the finest available product every time. We don’t offer cheap alternatives; we help our clients to invest in the best value. The same is true for our equipment parts support. We offer only OEM parts, parts that are factory proven and tested to be the best components for the application.
Supplying the best equipment technologies and supporting those products with the right parts is only a portion of the product value we bring to the Packaged Ice Industry. Our 20 plus year relationship with our partner bag manufacturer has grown on the foundation of producing the best, most consistent ice packaging products. We also deliver these superior products with the highest level of customer service. At times our ice bag and roll stock customers have been lured by the promises of cheaper alternatives, but in the end they return to AIS for better packaging value. We extend this value to include the highest quality closing wire and other industry consumables and supplies. Our industry value does not end with the assurance of the best available products, but extends to include supplier client services.
Our design and engineering services are second to none within the Industrial and Packaged Ice Industries. Our experience coupled with superior equipment and market knowledge leads to the development of better ice manufacturing and processing systems. Fully integrated Automatic ICE™ Systems are more efficient, simplistic, more reliable and are always designed for future growth.
At AIS, our commitment is with the customer. Our ongoing client consultation and support aims at building and supporting better ice manufacturers. We strive to be a valuable asset to our clients and integral member of their support team like their accountant, banker, attorney or business mentor. Unlike Walmart, at AIS we are not interested in becoming the biggest, we are focused on being the best – Doug Carpenter
