The Dortmund-based paint manufacturer KADDI LACK has been offering classic industrial paints since 1998. Their business model: KADDI LACK supplies very small quantities, something which the major manufacturers in the industry do not do. Since 2011, the Dortmund-based manufacturer of industrial coatings has been actively using the B2B marketplace “Wer liefert was” as a marketing channel. We talked to owner Thomas Grüner about his experiences.
Mr Grüner, how would you describe what your company offers?
KADDI LACK specialises in the production of high-quality industrial coatings. Unlike the bigger producers, however, we offer our products in very small quantities, starting at one litre, and deliver to our customers nationwide within a maximum of two days.
How does this business model work?
In order to offer high-quality industrial coatings promptly and in the smallest quantities, we use semi-finished products as a basis, which we then finish individually according to the customer’s wishes. This innovative way of working enables us to produce in a much faster and more demand-oriented way than our major competitors, who produce all their coatings completely in-house. This is how we have been holding our own for 20 years against giants in the industry like Brillux or Mankiewicz.
What types of customers does your range target?
Our main customers come from the B2B sector and are active in mechanical engineering or the metalworking industry. The size of these companies doesn’t matter. Our offer is aimed at anyone who wants to be economical and only needs a small amount of a given paint.
How do these customers find you?
We have both our own website and a company profile on “Wer liefert was”. And we always ask new interested parties how they became aware of us. Around 85 percent do indeed find us through the “Wer liefert was” company profile. Of these, more than half make an enquiry which we are able to fulfil, and around a third of those customers end up placing an order with us. We’re happy with this rate.
Why did you choose “Wer liefert was”, Visable’s B2B marketplace?
I remember “Wer liefert was” from when it was only available in print – even back then, it was already of very high quality. At first, I was just curious as to whether and how well it would function online. Today, wlw is the only online marketing measure we regularly invest in, in order to be found by new customers – and it works very well.
What was your experience in setting up your profile?
Thanks to the dedicated Visable field staff, the implementation was straightforward and quick. Still, one should not expect to be able to see successful changes the very next day. Here, too, the Visable consultants supported us with their realistic assessment.
Did it ultimately meet all of your expectations?
Although we initially only wanted to gain experience, we were quickly convinced that “Wer liefert was” is really worthwhile. Even today, seven years later, around 85% of all new customer enquiries come from wlw. Although the number of visitors to our company profile sometimes fluctuates, the quality of the contacts remains consistently high.
What developments can be expected in your industry?
Sustainability plays a major role in our field. However, developments that benefit the environment usually always limit quality or economic efficiency. Currently, due to the ban on lead-based pigments, only poor-coverage yellow or red shades – which are also very expensive – are available. We are currently looking for a sensible alternative to these options.
How are you getting ready for the future?
In this day and age, it is enormously important for companies to remain agile. For this reason, we are currently developing an online configurator with which even a layperson with no specialist knowledge can easily find exactly the right paint for their needs and order it with one click.
Even though KADDI LACK is, of course, in a very specific market, I’m convinced that this configurator will generate a great digital benefit for us and that we can gain a position similar to the one the company Flyeralarm, for example, has achieved with online printing. My goal is to grow from five to eighty employees in two years.
Here, too, we of course rely on the support of Visable’s online marketing measures.
