With the rise of internet business (across any sector), there has most definitely been a corresponding rise in what we will diplomatically call ‘blurred boundaries’. In other words, presenting a product or service in a particular light, when in reality, it doesn’t conform on every level.
You may be purchasing, for example, low-voltage products. You know the job you need them for, the amount and their expected capabilities. You may also specifically want to purchase products made in Europe, or the UK, for their reliability or provenance.
You purchase from your supplier (maybe someone you’ve known a long time, or perhaps a new company) – and you’ve taken care to see through the brief, right down to the last detail – especially the bit about being manufactured in the UK or Europe.
Don’t Be Swayed By The UK Flag!
But how do you really know? By posting up a British flag on their home page, any company can ‘appear’ to be a UK manufacturer!
We often have this conversation with our clients, especially those from the Middle East. They just ‘assume’ this is the case, and are often shocked when they find out it’s not. And that is why we go to great lengths to demonstrate what we do.
Mass Market –v- Design Centre
There is no doubt there’s a huge market for mass-produced, imported products. And that’s fine for people who need just that. BUT – if you have specified a European or UK product and are paying for reliability, traceability and design/manufacturing capability then surely that’s what you should receive ?
At Hobut, we actively target people who want a relationship with our engineers. Knowing our clients’ needs is vital, and enables us to produce top-quality products every time (see our example below too).
How To Identify A Genuine Product
For our part, most of Hobut’s products are engraved with ‘Made In England’.
Obviously, we also carry the UK flag on our site.
We are also happy to show pictures of our workplace, factory and staff. You’ll often find that companies who allude to manufacturing in the UK (but actually aren’t), will not have the capability to do this. If they don’t have UK premises, they can’t show them can they!
Manufacturing To Order Can Save You Money!
One size doesn’t necessarily fit all. And working with a company that can manufacture a tailored or bespoke product, can often save money.
For example: We have a customer in Oman that had to manufacture control panels with only a very tight space to work within. Had they ordered standard sized products, it would have necessitated a complete re-design of the panel.
Happily, after some discussion with our engineers, we were able to tailor-make cast resin products (pictured) to fit perfectly. Quite simply – there is no need to buy a standard product when it isn’t the best fit or application – as our job proved.
And the result? One happy customer and repeat business for the foreseeable future.