VICTOR Launches New Three-Tier Brand Strategy and Product Mix
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All New Outfits Match Application and Price Requirements
St. Louis - In a bold effort to meet the evolving demands of the cutting and welding marketplace, Victor has launched its new three-tier brand strategy and product line blend. The line is branded as Victor Professional, Victor CutSkill and Victor Firepower. Each tier carries a specific apparatus and set of components designed to meet the exact performance specifications, applications, warranty support and price range of the end user.
"This all-new brand strategy provides our distribution network with the broadest range of outfits in the industry, all based on the most trusted name in oxy fuel, Victor." said Thermadyne Director of Marketing of the Americas Joe Mueller. "Victor Professional, Victor CutSkill and Victor Firepower enable our distributors the flexibility to offer the exact products demanded by the true professional, the value orientated tradesman or the home hobbyist."
The top-of-the-line "best" category features the Victor Professional series of outfits and components. The Victor Professional series are the very best products on the market today in terms of features, performance, functionality and durability. They are designed for the most demanding industrial users who expect performance, quality and safety in the products they use to complete their job. Victor Professional products feature patented built in flashback arresters, reverse check-flow valves, multi-fuel "T" grade hose and steel regulator gauge guards. This series carries an enhanced warranty of five years and are packaged in new stainless steel toolboxes. Victor Professional outfits are offered as Victor Journeyman (Extra Heavy Duty), Victor Journeyman II (Heavy Duty), Victor Super Range II (Medium Heavy Duty) and Victor Performer (Medium Duty).
"We simplified the Victor Professional series from nearly forty SKU's to twelve as part of our commitment to help our distributors manage their working capital and inventory more efficiently," stated Mueller. "Our global product management team listened very carefully to our customers and I believe we hit a home run by delivering the performance features and specific component combinations distributors requested but in a simplified offering."
The "better" category of outfits and components will feature the Victor CutSkill® line of products. The Victor CutSkill series of outfits is designed to offer the value oriented consumer a quality product engineered and manufactured by a premium brand. Victor CutSkill outfits contain the features you have come to expect in Victor products, including two-tube design, patented built in reverse flow check valves and flash back arrestors all presented in molded plastic tool box packaging. Victor CutSkill products feature a two-year warranty. Victor CutSkill outfits are available in 450 (Heavy Duty), 350 (Heavy/Medium Duty) and 250 (Medium Duty) models.
The "good" category of outfits will feature the Victor Firepower® line of products. The Victor Firepower line of oxy fuel products is specifically targeted to the price conscious and light duty consumer. These products will be packaged in a molded plastic case. (Editor note: Firepower products will be available in mid-May, 2006.) Victor Firepower outfits will be available in 350 (Heavy/Medium Duty) and 250 (Medium Duty) models.
"Today's market is growing in complexity every day," stated Dan Hlawati, Marketing Manager of Gas Equipment for Victor. "Victor's "Good," "Better," "Best" brand strategy is a very intuitive way to communicate the brand and performance attributes of each tier very clearly to our distributors and their customers. The most impressive feedback I've received so far is that most distributors really feel our new brand strategy gives them a competitive edge in their market against their competition who may carry multiple brands to match the simple Victor offering. Carrying one brand simplifies distributor purchasing, sales training and merchandising. This all new outfit series really is the absolute best....period."
Victor welding and cutting outfits are available at welding supply distributors nationwide. To locate a local distributor, go to www.victorequip.com and click on WHERE TO BUY.
Victor, a registered trademark, is a brand owned and marketed by Thermadyne Industries, Inc., a global welding and cutting products manufacturing company with headquarters in St. Louis, Mo. Thermadyne and its brands are some of the most respected names in the welding and metal fabricating industry. For more information, visit the Web site at www.thermadyne.com or phone Steve Pona at 636-728-3057.
About Thermadyne
Thermadyne, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of cutting and welding products and accessories under a variety of leading premium brand names including Victor®, Tweco®, Arcair®, Thermal Dynamics®, Thermal Arc® , Stoody®, Turbo Torch®, Firepower® and Cigweld®. Its common shares trade on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol THMD. For more information about Thermadyne, its products and services, visit the company's web site at www.Thermadyne.com.
