Kirkpatrick Limited

As if its not difficult enough dealing with depressed demand during this recession, this week we have been faced with additional problems. Firstly, we were called to a site visit where a customer (end user) had an apparent problem with some of our products. (Note that we attended, rather than our stockist or distributor).

It turned out that they were not our products but those of one of our competitors. The end user in question had specified our products and was naturally annoyed that she has been supplied with a cheap, inferior, imitation product. When she complained to the supplier she was told,

“Oh, these products are all the same. They are all made in the same way”.

NOT TRUE!

On another, separate occasion, a customer, (end user), was told by the stockist that one of our competitor’s products was from the UK.

NOT TRUE.

We make the claim that our Kirkpatrick Malleable Iron Black Ironmongery is the only range still made in the UK. If someone can prove otherwise then we will withdraw this claim but as far as we are aware it is a reasonable claim. If you go back 30 years there were three Companies all within a mile of each other in Walsall all making similar products. In a way it is sad that Kirkpatrick is the only one to have survived. At around this time imported copies started arriving on the UK market. These designs were never patented so there wasn’t a lot we could do. We have taken action against Companies in India using our images to promote their ranges, however.

Imported products are marketed so that they sound British. British sounding names like “Ludlow Foundries” or “Black Country Metalworks” give the impression of originating in the UK.

THEY DON’T.

Some products are promoted using the fact that they are made using “traditional English methods” but they don’t state that they are actually made in India or China.

It’s a similar marketing technique to that used in the Vodka market. Smirnoff and Vladivar both sound Russian but you can bet that they don’t originate from Russia.

We are not seeking special treatment. We certainly don’t rest on our laurels and think that just because we are British we are owed a living. All we seek to do is to point out and educate the public both at home and abroad that our products are made in the UK. They are of the highest quality and the most authentic in both look and feel. Because they are made of Malleable Iron, they are the strongest and toughest. We say this to people all the time but if you want an independent viewpoint follow this link and see what an end user thinks.

What we don’t want is for the public to be sold an inferior copy when they have specified ours. Neither should retailers claim that all similar products are the same. It is a bit like claiming that an Aston Martin and a Tata are the same. True, they will both get you from A to B and there is a market for both. But which would you prefer?

We try to educate our stockists and distributors and the vast majority promote our products because they recognise the quality of our range and they want to be associated with this. Occasionally, whether through ignorance or just plain laziness we get a situation like that outlined at the start of this blog.

So, we are doing what we can to spread the word. Please help us. Support British manufacturing!