The maintenance, repair and overhaul of industrial assets requires a wide range of products and services, supplied with deep specialist knowledge and technical expertise.
In an exclusive Q&A with The Manufacturer, Franck Voisin, Group CEO of Rubix, discusses how the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of industrial assets requires a wide range of products and services, supplied with deep specialist knowledge and technical expertise.
What role do you see large distributors playing in helping manufacturers optimise their supply chains?
“Large distributors, such as Rubix, are a critical link between manufacturers and suppliers – meeting the needs they have today while supporting the large-scale transformations they are undertaking to prepare for what tomorrow will bring. The European industrial distribution industry is currently highly fragmented and lacks cohesion. Although we are the market leader, Rubix only holds approximately 3% of the market share – and yet we are double the size of our closest competitor.
“Across Europe the top five players collectively hold under 8% of the market, whereas, in contrast, it’s more like 30% in the US, with several big players, similar to Rubix, taking the market share.
“On the continent, we see a different competitor, with thousands of smaller providers operating in regional or provincial locations, where we distinguish ourselves as the only company with a truly pan-European footprint.
“We are noticing that manufacturers increasingly want to consolidate supply. Keeping a factory or plant up and running requires a vast array of products spanning multiple categories. Often, this involves a range of complementary services, too, such as customisation and repair, or longer-term solutions, including condition monitoring and predictive maintenance programmes.
“Managing all of that could require hundreds if not thousands of suppliers, with the associated costs of time, effort and money for manufacturing businesses. However, by working with us, they benefit from simplified procurement processes as we offer a range of e-procurement solutions alongside our comprehensive assortment available through our webshop. As a result, they can lower operational costs and get access to everything they need in one place, whether the focus is on uptime, efficiency, productivity, sustainability, safety – or any combination of those needs.
“What’s more, customers can benefit from the knowledge and expertise that only we can provide as a true multi-specialist on the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of industrial assets.”
And what are the benefits for suppliers?
“For suppliers, we make it easier to serve the diverse and sometimes complex European industrial distribution market. They trust our people to represent their brands and products precisely because the knowledge and expertise of our people is valued so highly by European manufacturers. Our team are not just a product manual – they all deeply understand the specific requirements of different industries, from food and beverage to paper and packaging, and aerospace to construction and energy, ensuring that the right solutions reach the right customers.
“They rely on us and the reach we offer to keep them close to developing trends in the end markets, which we can do thanks to our daily contact with our customers – of which we have 220,000 across Europe.
“Our established infrastructure and local market knowledge across Europe allow us to provide our customers with the products they want, when they want them. With multiple facilities stocking the same products, whether you are on the Mediterranean coast or the snow-capped peaks of northern Europe, specialised products are easily accessible to you.”
What role can distributors play in offering tailored MRO solutions to meet the specific needs of different manufacturers, rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach?
“The benefits of scale apply everywhere. Scale ensures we can provide range and availability to our customers – something that customers of all sizes want and need.
“Importantly, we ensure everyone can access the knowledge and expertise of our people, too. Thanks to our extensive footprint, we can get people onto the factory floor over the yellow safety line if necessary. It could be about an unexpected stoppage, a continuous improvement initiative, or part of an ongoing condition monitoring programme. Some even benefit from an Insite – a Rubix branch located at the customer premises.
“And of course, some customers may be seeking advice on a particular product and for them, we are available on the phone or via web chat. The fundamental benefits of what we provide are consistent, but we have a model to deliver it that adapts to the needs of our customers.”
How can large distributors help manufacturers reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) for MRO supplies while maintaining quality and reliability?
“Firstly, the unique combination of products and services serves to support manufacturers in their efforts to reduce TCO. The services component of our business ensures we can offer repairs in place of more costly replacements. Or we can extend the life of equipment through condition monitoring and predictive maintenance programmes.
“Secondly, our position as one of the largest European customers for many of our suppliers ensures we can offer customers the best available commercial conditions, product availability and – where needed – dedicated project support and training.
“Finally, our extensive range of exclusive brands ensures we can offer quality, reliability and competitive process, with guaranteed availability at any European site, whether it’s Mecaline for mechanical power transmission, PTN for bearings, Giss for PPE, Roebuck for hand tools, Cutline for cutting tools or Spartex for those everyday essentials.”
What are the emerging trends in European industrial distribution?
“Increasingly, we see suppliers wanting to shift volumes away from their direct-to-customer channel and into the distributor channels.
“Yes, this has been successful in the US, where the distribution market is more mature, but we haven’t seen the same results in Europe, where the market is more challenging to access given the more fragmented, multi-national, multilingual and multicurrency nature of the region.
“However, this is why manufacturers are increasingly recognising the value of collaborating with distributors who can navigate these complexities. This is where they see the benefit of partnering with Rubix. The available market is actually larger here than it is over the Atlantic, but it’s often a tougher place to play.”
To discover more about how Rubix can support your business, click here and for solutions, click here.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rubixgroup
Franck Voisin, Group CEO, Rubix
Franck has 30 years of industrial experience, including 15 at Rubix. Earlier in his career he worked at Total Energies, Elis, Kone and Orexad, which was later acquired by IPH. In late 2017 Brammer merged with IPH to create Rubix.
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