General
09 November 2017
“JMA is perceived as a quality, innovative and reliable brand in the UK”
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Richard Hawkins, Managing Director of SKS
JMA has maintained a significant presence in the British market for decades. To a great extent, the positive perception enjoyed by the brand's products in the United Kingdom is down to the important partnership between JMA and SKS; the leading wholesaler in the country's locksmith sector. Richard Hawkins, Managing Director of SKS, takes stock in this interview of the fruitful collaboration between JMA and SKS, while explaining the projects and challenges faced by the Altuna Group subsidiary in the short and medium term.
SKS and JMA have maintained commercial ties since 1984, when SKS became the sole distributor for JMA products in the United Kingdom. How would you describe the evolution of this relationship of over 30 years?
JMA and SKS share some important values, such as a desire to offer a great service and the quality products our customers demand. I believe that has helped shape our successful collaboration and led to a relationship that has only grown stronger with time.
What does full integration into the Altuna Group mean for SKS?
Changes; changes for the better. We now work more closely with the various departments of JMA, which gives us an outlook that is more in line with the direction the group is taking and also gives us a louder voice within the group. Knowing that we can rely on Altuna Group, its resources and people, gives us greater confidence in tackling the challenges of the future and achieving our maximum potential.
From your privileged position as leading wholesaler in the British locksmith sector, how would you describe the current situation in the UK market?
The British market is a little flat, albeit stable, considering the country's political and economic situation. It's a highly competitive market, which means we have to make an even greater effort to ensure we maintain a great service and competitive prices.
SKS is known for its extremely extensive range, how are the main product lines doing?
You could say that our main product line is the growth we have experienced over the last 10 years. We have converted SKS into a kind of "one-stop-shop", meaning that our customers have no need for any other vendors to get the products they need. This not only generates extra profit for us but also helps us offer a better service, and strengthen and enrich our main product line: key blanks.
What are the unique features of the British hardware-locksmith market? What are the key characteristics of SKS for meeting customer needs?
I don't think it differs very much from any other market in the world. Customers need a vendor they can trust and expect a professional but approachable service any time they need to place an order or ask us for help.
The SKS quality of service is a highly important factor for its customers. How does that good service manifest?
We have a team of representatives who visit customers on a regular basis, which helps customers "put a face to the name". Furthermore, our sales and technical departments are always on hand to help customers with their orders or whenever they ask for assistance. Technology is a key part of our service, with numerous solutions in our ERP created to suit the needs of our customers. For example, our Auto Cross-Referencing for key blanks or for automatically offering to restock a product if the customer has run out. Our e-commerce platform, which was launched almost 10 years ago, is fully integrated into our ERP. This means customers can view our entire catalogue, search for products, place orders directly, check stock status and prices, and even make payments on this platform.
Without a committed team, it is very difficult to achieve a quality service. What values define the SKS workforce?
I would say the main principle is to offer a great service while listening to our customers and ensuring that we provide the right solution.
What has been the reaction from customers to the latest JMA product releases?
The MUTLICODE electronic key duplicator has been received with great excitement. Every customer who has seen it in action has been very impressed. The K-PROX model is another interesting addition to the electronic JMA machines; in this case, for copying contactless keys. We believe it will be a successful product in our market because it is so simple to use and comes at such a competitive price.
What do your customers like the most about JMA products? How is the brand perceived in the United Kingdom?
The British market perceives JMA as a quality, innovative and reliable brand. Its image is that of the leading brand in key blanks, with a highly competitive line of duplicators backed up by the service from its technical and sales departments.
SKS also distributes IFAM locksmith products in the country. What would you say stands out from the range?
The IFAM brand has been operating for many years in the United Kingdom and maintains a very good reputation due to its extensive range and the quality of its products and services. Its line of padlocks is the most well-known, but we are receiving a very good response to the launch of new anti-theft devices for motorcycles and bicycles, as well as the new items from the industrial safety range.
You also have the Maxus brand. What is the market focus adopted for those products?
The Maxus brand represents products, like padlocks and cylinders, manufactured to high quality standards and sold at highly affordable prices. In response to the needs of our customers, the Maxus products offer multiple options in terms of size and packaging formats. They also provide excellent key mastering and keying alike services.
What challenges or projects is SKS tackling in the short, medium and long term?
I believe that the United Kingdom is going to live with the difficulties posed by Brexit for many years, stemming from the political and economic uncertainty it has generated. Getting procurement right will be a challenge within the framework of a market that will constantly demand even more competitive prices. Furthermore, we expect to start work on expanding our headquarters in 2018 so we can create more office and warehouse space. This will allow us to increase our stock levels and create a more productive work area. This expansion is related to our catalogue for next year, which will add 20 pages of new items to the 400 pages that already exist. In my opinion, all of this clearly reflects our growth.
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