Interview by Tecfluid
Tecfluid is proud to celebrate its collaboration with Nixon Flowmeters Ltd as one of its main partners for many years. Therefore, we would like to interview Mr. David Nixon, Managing Director, to understand from his point of view about all these years doing business with Tecfluid.
We would appreciate it if Mr. David Nixon could answer the following questionnaire.
The Origins
Q. Why did you decide to work with Tecfluid in 2001? Was it the first time you worked with a Spanish supplier?
A. We had represented a German Flowmeter company for many years. That company had been taken over by a large organisation which failed to run the business properly. Subsequently, we lost access to the range of products we had been selling.
It so happened that Tecfluid had represented the very same company many years ago, so the product range that had been developed was very similar and it was a perfect fit for our business. It was the first time we had worked with a Spanish supplier. I was so impressed on my first visit to find a modern, totally self-contained manufacturing facility
Q. Did you find any difficulties in the market when introducing Tecfluid products? If yes, how did you solve them?
A. I think Tecfluid was almost unknown in the UK when we started. I took the decision to be very open about our sole agency agreement and advertised Tecfluid openly as one of our main trading partners.
Q. What were the first reactions of your clients regarding Tecfluid products?
A. It takes time; change is something people do not take to easily. It is only when customers can be persuaded to try the products that they gain confidence in the quality and reliability.
Tecfluid Products
Q. Which is your preferred Tecfluid product? Why this one?
A. We like the traditional products like the Variable Area Flowmeters and Spring Restrained Flapper types. Even today there is a strong demand for these tried and tested instruments.
Q. Which Tecfluid products are in most demand among your clients?
A. Again we like the traditional variable area and spring restrained flowmeter.
Q. What do you appreciate the most about Tecfluid service and/or products?
A. Good quality, reasonable price and solid, reliable service.
Q. Which are your main types of clients? In which industries do they operate?
A. I can honestly say we don’t have ‘typical’ clients. It can be anything from a man with a pond in his back garden to nuclear industry and everything in between. One of the challenges is dealing with specialist buying companies that act on behalf of blue chip clients, and don’t understand anything about the product they are purchasing.
Evolution of Tecfluid
Q. What do you think about the evolution of Tecfluid? What were the implications of this evolution (if applicable) for Nixon Flowmeters Ltd?
A. I am so pleased to see Tecfluid still in the hands of the family that started it all. As I said right at the beginning of this interview, I have seen what happens when companies are taken over by organisations that do not have the wellbeing of the company at heart.
Q. What aspects do you think could be improved concerning our company and products?
A. I believe some of the electronics could do with some improvement, we have some worries over the reliability of the Electromagnetic Flowmeters in particular.
Q. What do you think are the main challenges for the instrumentation industry players in your country?
A. The main challenge for the UK is now the result of the Brexit referendum where the UK has voted to leave the EU. We now seem to be left with a group of incompetent politicians upon whom we have to rely to make hundreds of important decisions over our future. Already we have seen the pound nose dive in value.
This, at the very least, makes it more challenging to sell European products.
Q. Could you please share with us any anecdote from the last twenty years of business collaboration with Tecfluid?
A. A few years ago Tecfluid held a European sales meeting at the factory. Part of the itinerary was a coach tour of the Barcelona tourist sites. Raul was giving an excellent commentary on the tour bus.
Everyone knows the sun always shines in Barcelona so we were all dressed in light summer clothing. Well it poured down; we all got absolutely drenched walking to see the Sagrada Familia and the Olympic stadium. In more than 10 visits to Barcelona I have never seen it rain like it did that day!
Thank you very much for taking time out for this interview. Your opinion has always been very important for Tecfluid to continue improving its range of services and products. We hope to count on you as one of our main clients for many more years.
Kind regards,
The Tecfluid Team.
