Rowmark Terminates Distribution Arrangement with JDS Industries
JDS was informed this week by Rowmark via E-mail that they are terminating our distribution arrangement that goes back over 25 years. JDS will no longer be able to purchase any of the Rowmark products that we currently distribute. We have been one of the largest Rowmark distributors for many years, and have been proud to be able to offer those products to you. I am saddened that we will no longer be able to offer this line to you. The product lines effected include: All Rowmark and IPI plastic sheet stock, Rowmark Aluminum sign frames, Rowmark Stand-off’s and mounting fixtures, Lasermags, Mates, Spectrum Lights, and the Rowmark Hardwood Collection. JDS does have a large current inventory that will be available for sale while supplies last.
Rowmark was acquired by a Venture Capital company a few years ago, and since then has been buying other companies to consolidate their position in the plastic sheet stock market. At this time, the group also owns IPI Plastics, Johnson’s Plastics, Burlane Plastics and Laserbits. I strongly feel that consolidating too much of any market into one controlling company does not promote a healthy market and choice of supply to the industry. This is why JDS Industries chose to add the Gemini line of plastics to our offerings for you about 6 months ago.
Gemini is a high quality, family owned company that previously focused primarily on the signage industry. A couple of years ago, they added the state of the art equipment that they needed to begin manufacturing their own line of engravable plastic. They use the newest and best equipment in a clean room environment to ensure the highest quality in their products. When we started testing their products, we were very impressed with the consistent quality and also the value of what they were offering. I felt that this would be a line that our customers would have a strong interest in, benefiting from both the high quality, and the lower prices. The Gemini DUETS products that we offer have an average savings of 20% to 30% over similar Rowmark items. We have had a strong response to this new line in the last 6 months with many customers telling us how much cleaner it lasers which means less clean-up for them.
We also added a product line of thin flexible plastic engraving material we call JDSFLEX. This line is similar to Rowmark Flexibrass, but at a savings of 40% or more on the most popular colors. This line has taken off very fast as so many customers are using this material to laser trophy plates as well as other uses. We also have a new line coming soon to be called JDS Ultra Thins which will be an even thinner alternative at even lower price points. We hope to have this new line available to sell by the end of July. We have several other plastic engraving products we are working on that you will see in the next few months as well. Our goal is to give our customers great quality products at the best price points possible.
Although we are unhappy that Rowmark has taken away our ability to offer their products once our inventories are depleted, we are very excited by the new offerings we will be bringing to the market. I feel that it is very important for our customers to have options to choose from in any market, and plastic engraving material is no exception.
JDS Industries started as a retail trophy store in Sioux Falls, SD. In the last 30 years we have grown to become the largest wholesaler of Awards and Personalization products in the world. We remain committed to the principles that allowed us to grow such as offering the best customer service, availability of inventory, and a wide variety of products to our customers. We will continue to bring you the best, most innovative products from around the world that we feel will benefit your company.
Thank you for your business.
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