ROTHO Experiences Continued Success at the VDTA 2010 Show

By RICH ROMANO, National Sales Manager, ROTHO

Even in an economy that will be slow to recover, the VDTA continues to draw a consistent crowd of serious business people who understand the market and how to adapt in order to succeed. It is well known that the number of dealers is shrinking, but there seems to be a buzz of activity for those that have the staying power to diversify and expand into the market voids left by those leaving the industry.

This was our fourth year attending the VDTA and it was our best year yet. During the show, the weather was perfect and the accommodations were very convenient. The tram service picked up right from the hotel and dropped us at the steps of the show.

The three day pass for the tram also was appreciated because it provided access to the other sites in Vegas. The dealer appreciation event held on Friday was very well received and the possibilities for food and entertainment in Vegas are endless.

By the end of the show, we had increased our dealer base by over twenty percent! We were very impressed by the overwhelming positive response to our new, lower priced, TWIN TT model. There was a constant flow of traffic through the booth and dealers who serve markets that have been heavily impacted by the economy showed much interest in this new product.

"We decided to expand the TWIN TT line in order to meet the needs of dealers at every level. We've developed a unit that offers the same one-of-a-kind water filtration with both wet and dry cleaning capability, but at a new lower price," said Rich Romano, national sales manager for Robert Thomas, LP.

Based on the demographics and statistics of our international sales, we have suspected that while our product appeals to people in suburban areas, the TWIN TT is also the ideal cleaning system for people living in city-center urban areas. A majority of the dealers who placed orders and signed on with ROTHO at the VDTA are from urban areas with high population density. The latest TWIN TT model that we have introduced is the #2 overall selling vacuum in Russia. The vast majority of these Russian sales come from high population density areas where people are living in households where space efficiency is critical and floor materials are mostly hard surfaces.

This is good news for dealers looking to expand their product line to address the North American population that lives in similar circumstances, which actually constitutes about 40% of the USA! When considering the home décor of this market segment, most homes have a combination of area rugs, hardwood floors and tile or marble. The ROTHO TWIN TT can easily and effectively clean all of these surfaces as well as furniture upholstery, drapes and windows. For these dense population urban households there is valid interest in owning a multi-function cleaning system rather than multiple cleaning devices. The ROTHO TWIN TT fulfills this category perfectly.

Another point to consider when expanding a product line is the 'Green' factor. As you hear daily in advertisements, green is no longer just a color, it's both a lifestyle choice and a pop culture phenomenon. What started as a "feature" is now a driving force in many markets. Robert Thomas, LP has been a top manufacturer of environmentally conscious home cleaning systems since before it was popular. With the option of an ECO power setting the TWIN TT consumes significantly less energy while cleaning. The water filtration eliminates the need for dust bags while providing a superior sanitary result.

All in all the show was a great success. The attendee traffic started out a little slowly on Thursday, but by Friday we were so busy we did not have time for lunch. Several dealers seemed to be seeking out fresh alternatives to their current product mix.

Aside from the TWIN TT, steam cleaners and upright shampoo units were creating quite a buzz at the show. We met several dealers who had come to the show specifically to diversify their product offerings, and most encouraging were the dealers that made the trip to the show specifically to see ROTHO.

The TWIN TT fills a growing niche in the market for diversity and multi-function which can expand the scope of cleaning capabilities.

Reprinted from Floor Care Professional, May 2010