Latest IMRC announcement?

[SkipGear]

It seems Intermountain is expanding it's coverage again....

Monday, April 26, 2010 @ 6:21 AM
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NEW!     FOX VALLEY MODELS DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT!!


InterMountain Railway Company has entered into an agreement
to distribute the product line of Fox Valley Models.  Fox
Valley products are recognized in the marketplace as
prototypically accurate, finely detailed, and, in many
cases, niche driven, designed to meet specific needs of the
discerning N scale modeler.  We feel that this fine product
line complements InterMountain’s offerings.

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Fox Valley is already distributed by the majors (Walthers, Horizon, etc), not sure what IM can do to improve things.

[sizemore]

I think IM feels the pressure with Horizon and Walthers, so they are trying to compete at their level to stay afloat.

The S.

[asarge]

Intermountain shouldn't feel pressue from either. I wonder if this might have something to do with the slowdown in production from the major Chinese manufacturer and they trying to maintain a steady cash flow.

[ednadolski]

Synergy!

(I love that word!)

[tom mann]

At our level, what does this get us exactly?  Or is this mostly a Chuck-level type of thing?

[ljudice]

When will Atlas be distributed by IM???  I mean it's barely a dribble of products at this point.

My LHS is pretty pissed off at the HO track situation - (Empty Shelves for months) - which they said is hurting business, since a lot of it is walk in to get track and then "see something new and cool".

[Denver Road Doug]

I'd say it gets the "basement & train show" shops into the game.  Walthers--and certainly Horizon--won't deal with the weekend warriors, I don't think.

Pretty interesting with the history and relationship of the two companies.

Dogs and cats, living together....mass hysteria!!!

[FrankCampagna]

Wasn't Horizon distributing or going to distribute Intermountain at one time? What happened there?

Frank

[sizemore]

At our level, what does this get us exactly?  Or is this mostly a Chuck-level type of thing?

As long as noone gets pushed out (ie. goes under) I would think it's at the Chuck level. A, whom deals with whom versus discount, type of thing.

The S.

[SkipGear]

Wasn't Horizon distributing or going to distribute Intermountain at one time? What happened there?

Frank

Horizon does distribute Intermountain and as a result, anything they offer. I like the fact that IM picked up Red Caboose and some of the others because that made it much easier for our shop to get RC products (when they finally ship). I really don't have any complaint with IM picking up more lines to distribute, it just seems odd that FVM (well not really considering IM distributes most of the other DesPlains hobbies born products) is at IM after already getting settled into the major distributors, in fact FVM just showed up on Horizon a couple weeks back.

We deal with FVM direct so it really doesn't matter to me if there are other sources, just seemed like a partnership that really doesn't serve a purpose.

[Chulvis]

Intermountain shouldn't feel pressue from either. I wonder if this might have something to do with the slowdown in production from the major Chinese manufacturer and they trying to maintain a steady cash flow.

Bingo!

As a dealer, I don't see the value in buying Fox Valley, Trainworx, Eastern Seaboard or Con-Cor from InterMountain. I don't consider them a distributor nor do I wish to treat them as one.  I already buy these lines either direct or from a distributor I have an established relationship with. As Doug said, I can see where InterMountain would give those product lines some exposure to "dealers" who otherwise might not have access to them. That is unfortunate as it does not serve the brick and motor companies that actually have overhead and have invested in these companies very well at all.