Hi everyone, for those that don't know, i spent 20 odd years as a CI in Melbourne Australia before changing industries and becoming the sales manager for a new brand of Tubular motors in opposition to Somfy as well as quite a few others selling similar product. We launched in 2012 and have become the second biggest selling motor in Australia and New Zealand behind only Somfy, but honestly believe we can attain the number 1 position within a couple of years. In certain product types we are far and away the industry leader already. Our product is well made, well featured, and our remotes are the most elegant on the market so there are no question marks there, likewise we have solutions for just about every requirement of our product type.

Over time we have received interest from various US companies and we have toyed with the idea of launching our product over there. We are now looking at this much more seriously.

Basically this is a situation of i don't know what i don't know, so i'm looking for any advice in terms of distribution, compliance, type of support, anything helpful really.

It seems like many if not most products CI's deal with are sold through distributors like avad for example, is this also true of Tubular motors or do these companies sell and distribute in a different manner?

If anyone can help with what we need for electrical and RF compliance, that would be greatly appreciated as well.

Pretty much anything helpful would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

My knee jerk is- we buy shades, screens, camera lifts, roller tv concealment systems. All of which have tubular drives, but we're (I'm) not shopping for tubular drives. We like silent, long lasting, and trackable models. So- my 2 cents is you should go after shade manufacturers. Specifically the custom window treatment companies that build there own and would have interest in a better performing and competitively priced motor. Maybe incorporate a motion and/or daylight sensor or at least a point to mount/power a snap-in option. ZigBee/ Z-wave couldn't hurt either. Good luck, look forward to hearing your developments!

Like Don, I've never, placed an order for a tubular motor. I have ordered rotary shades, or integrated blindes that used rotary shade drivers.

In the US, basically all products live and die on UL listings.

If you want to sell in the states, get a UL listing, and give us a 232 protocol that we can interface

Sounds like pretty much the same business model as here in Oz. Here we sell pretty much solely to manufacturers as well. Our product is good and we offer a 7 year warranty. We also offer motion, light and wind sensors. Not looking to sell to CI's, just seeking advice from people who operate businesses in the States.
So in the US market, if we are selling to manufacturers, are we likely going direct with our own reps or are we better teeming up with wholesale parts suppliers to the window furnishings industry? Here we do a bit of both and it's manageable but we have a much smaller market here and far fewer people to see. I guess i'm looking for the common approach. I'm also looking for a way of doing it without throwing a million dollars at it from the outset but don't want to compromise on service either.

Call me when you get a chance. I have been thru all of the joy and sadness of starting a new product line.

Isnt this from the guy that hates America? lol.

Who, Brent, or Simon?

Business 1: it's okay to sell to people you hate, just as it's okay to sell your mother (if you get cash).

Don hit it on the head. I'd add that the few systems I've worked with had RF remotes that the shade manufacturers sold before integrated control even came up as a subject, and we had to junk that part of their system. Discourage RF control. Have the humble IR control method available.

Bring IP control to shade motor controllers.

Not at all, i don't hate America. There are many things i like. In particular i like that American cuisine has managed to find the perfect sugar, fat and salt balance and has packed it into every single food type available. Yummy.

There are some areas however in which many Americans actively work against their own best interest, or in the name of "Freedom" actively work against everyone else's best interests, both locally and abroad.

There are also a few Americans who like to point out (to foreigners like myself) why these detrimental attributes make America greater than the country i live in (usually because "Freedom"). It may be a personal flaw but i can't let that go and will refute those claims with as much vigor as they were made to me.

Don't confuse my love of my own country with it's safety and free healthcare to name a couple of benefits for a dislike of yours. It might sound like an Un-American trait to you but i don't need for you to lose in order for me to win. I actually want you to win too.

Also don't confuse the words i might say to you in an argument as being aimed at all Americans.

All Tubular motor remotes are RF if the receiver is built into the motor. IR is just impractical as the motor is commonly hidden away in alcoves or behind pelmets and such. It's not integration friendly but it is the best method for a stand alone system. RF is not affected by light and is not directional, nor requires line of sight. How would you control a house full of blinds from one location with each blind requiring it's own specific code? IR is fine for a lift or a screen where a single motor is in play and contained within the same room. But outside of that it's either impractical or there are better ways.

Some companies do offer an IR module to control a dumb motor as a separate item and those usually end up being used in lifts and screens and such, but we don't as the demand is just too small for us. We do have app control though and we also have devices that can be wired up to dry contact relays or switches that will send RF commands out to the motors, so if you are using a remote with a processor like RTI for example, you can use the relays on-board the processor to issue the commands.

We also have 4 core motors for automation systems that can be wired in parallel which is usually a big no-no. This can deliver massive savings to the customer if they are happy to operate blinds in groups as in many commercial applications.

Don't know if it is worth it with the state of control systems mostly going IP nowadays, but would a basic box that converts IR commands to RF, allowing you to integrate with any IR remote be feasible? I am thinking about those theaters, for example, that is self contained with a MX980 or something similar. I guess I am wondering more if it is possible vs whether it is actually practical to make it.

One thing I would add is to make sure that you have knowledgeable customer support and a well stocked factory repair center set up in the states. There is nothing worse than waiting four to six weeks for parts, just because it's made in Australia.

I am doing this right now for a European manufacturer trying to launch in United States... I am the tip of the spear, well more like the entire spear for now.

300 employees in Europe. Me in the states.

Hit me up via whatsapp or viber via my chicago cell #. I can tell you how we are going to market. And the pitfalls

Possible yes, practical no. Not given the solutions that already exist.
You would never make your R&D costs back as the requirement is so small.