This week, it was determined that the Take-Down™ Buck Saw will be available summer 2013 and the Xtreme™ Bow Saws will be available fall 2013. I visited Tom Adams at Jym Line glassware. The Trail Blazer team started increasing efforts to find ways to increase profits and appreciates the support from our Dalhousie Co-op student … Kenton McNutt.
We received e-mails and phone calls from a large number of Trail Blazer’s dealers & distributors asking us if the same delivery problems that occured in 2012 are going to happen again this year. Some of them were looking for updates on their spring orders for Trail Blazer’s collapsible saws. They were concerned because they were told that Trail Blazer’s Sawvivor™ Saw is out of stock and were asking us to ship what ever we had available in stock. A lot of our dealers are preparing for the upcoming spring consumer shows and some were contacting us direct for pricing on Trail Blazer’s Take-Down™ Buck Saw because their local distributors are out of stock.
What everybody was really asking was … What is the realistic delivery date for a purchase order placed today for Trail Blazer’s Sawvivor™ Saw and Trail Blazer’s Take-Down™ Buck Saw? I understand their concerns because Last year’s delivery performance was unacceptable and some of our dealers received their orders four to five months late.
Well the answer is … We have made all the necessary internal improvements to improve delivery performance with changes in our financial situation and supplier delivery issues, making Trail Blazer profitable each month since Feb 2012. Trail Blazer set up new suppliers for both the aluminum & plastics part in Halifax Nova Scotia & Bouctouche New Brunswick (Locally Made). The last step is our aluminum parts which require new tooling with the new suppliers. Trail Blazer’s Sawvivor™ Saw will be delivering the end of February for spring season while Trail Blazer’s Take-Down™ Buck Saw will start delivering in May 2013.
The delay in delivering Trail Blazer’s Take-Down™ Buck Saw is the new tooling we require for three different dies required to produce the aluminum H-frame design, making it not available for spring 2013. I recommend Trail Blazer’s Sawvivor™ Saw for your spring needs and the Take-Down™ Buck Saw will be available again summer 2013.
The next product on Trail Blazer’s list for new tooling is Trail Blazer’s Xtreme™ Bow Saws. They are becoming more popular across Canada with the addition of a new model were we are offering it with a wood & bone blade. The volume requirements is also increasing fast with the addition of the Craftsman model we produce for Sears and their retail partners in the United States. There is an issue with availability of our metal frames for Trail Blazer’s Xtreme™ Bow Saws and we’ll have a limited supply in March for spring & summer 2013. We’re changing our supplier now and the tooling will be started as soon as the new supplier provides us with metal samples.
It will be hard to purchase the Craftsman Bow Saws & the Trail Blazer’s Xtreme™ Bow Saws in the first half of 2013 but I’m proud that we’ll soon be manufacturing the product in Nova Scotia using a rubber grip made in New Brunswick and of course the Swedish blades. While controlling inventory, meeting demands and achieving on time delivery.
This week, I visited Tom Adams at Jym Line glassware to tour their operations and discuss offering custom logos on Trail Blazer products. Jym Line glassware utilizes 4 semi automatic glassware-decorating machines and a glassware decorating lehr. While I was there, Tom demonstrated how they will be able to provide custom logos on Trail Blazer’s founding products … the Take-Down™ Buck Saw and the Xtend-A™ Saw. Trail Blazer will be offering custom logos on their products for dealers (include your store logo on each item), suppliers (great promotional item) and non-profit organizations for their fund raising efforts, starting summer 2013.
Did you know a lehr is a glass firing tunnel that is used to permanently fire frit base glass inks into glass and ceramics? You can learn what “frit” is on Trail Blazer’s facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/takedownbucksaw). Jym Line can also provide Trail Blazer with customized gifts for our dealers and suppliers, including wine from Jost Vineyards.
Jost Vineyards is situated on over 100 acres by the beautiful North Shores of Nova Scotia. The Jost family pioneered the industry, supporting the majority of today’s independent vineyard operations. Their legacy of wine making dates back 400 years to Germany where Jost’s continue to produce great wines today, another great family business story. Their estate bottled whites, reds and specialties are lovingly crafted in the cellars and the vineyards have benefited from the natural nutrition of the shells of lobsters caught within view of the vineyards. Talk about an Atlantic story!!! Little wonder the wines compliment seafood so very well.
Back at the office, as the third quarter numbers come in, the Trail Blazer team increases their efforts to increase profits in the fourth quarter while they briefly celebrate their successes. They deserve a huge congratulations and celebration for the success & improvements they experienced from their hard work in 2012 … just not a long one.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere Thank you to the entire Trail Blazer team … Betty, Brent, Don, Justin, Monica & everyone on the production floor. Thanks to you, it is now more comfortable working on a profitable business after a tough few years we all experienced between 2008 & 2011. The Trail Blazer team still needs to put a stronger focus on decreasing our expenses to increase our profit margins in 2013. This will allow us to pay all over due payables as fast as possible and start a reliable cash flow to support the investment into growth through new products & markets. Then we can say once again … Let the Trail Blazing begin!!!
I would also like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation for the support our Dalhousie Co-op student, Kenton McNutt, is providing our logistic department by showing how to reduce delivery expenses. As well as the great ideas he is sharing to improve business & supplier development, promotion and customer retention.
All the Best, Shawn Levangie