Metalcon 2022 In review
We had a great time last week at the 2022 Metalcon Show. It was nice to knock the cobwebs off and get back out for some face time with our people. It was great to make so many new friends, and these events are always a great opportunity to spend time with old friends too. We had a lot of interest in our Industrial versions of our popular cam-lock bending brakes. We had an Industrial MetalMaster 20 EZ and an Mark IV Industrial TrimMaster on display, both of which were more than happy to continually show off their 24 gauge painted steel bending capabilities in two different form factors, 20” and 14” depths respectively.
In fact, we had a bit of a challenge tossed at us in the days leading up to the show. We were involved with some conversations online where we were discussing the bending capabilities of our portable brakes and stating that 24ga jobsite bending was very much a reality with a Van Mark brake, but we were asked to prove it. So, we did, on site, and on camera, with one operator. Without breaking a
sweat. This was actually a fun opportunity to demonstrate that Van Mark can, and will, back our product durability and capability claims. Anytime. Anywhere. So don’t test us Bro!
We also showed off our affordable compact slitter & perforator combo the SCI24HD. This may well have been the star of our show, as we had many inquiries about it. We suspect that the interest comes from not only the simplicity and durability of the SCI24HD, but the versatility. Since you can perf, slit and rib, or any combination of the three in material as tough as 24ga painted Grade D steel.
We also participated in a new program this year at Metalcon called the Metalcon Passport Program. This was a fun and unique way to entice people to visit participating exhibitors and learn a bit about them. If you elected to participate, you’d be a ‘traveler’ with the goal being to visit all of the companies in the passport booklet, jot down a fact you learned in your visit and get a stamp in your passport booklet from the exhibitor. At the end, the Metalcon staff randomly selected a ‘traveler’ to win $500 in cash. We enjoyed this program, as it was an opportunity to speak with some great people who might have use for a metal brake, or might not, but they now have a new level of experience with the Van Mark brand and our product offerings.
The award for the “most creative carry-out order” goes to our new friend O. from Colorado. (all names are changed to protect the innocent) He was so excited about our SCI24HD slitter/perforator combo that he bought the demo unit we used in our booth and proceeded to dismantle it and pack it into a few suitcases to check as baggage on his flight home. Which was probably a wise, albeit challenging, way to get his hands on one while we are still working to keep up with demand. The model we had at Metalcon was actually a bit of a unicorn, in that we had to build it specifically for the show due to all of the supply challenges we are facing with these slitters, so O. was lucky to snag that one while it was available.
We left the 2022 Metalcon Show on a high note, thanks to all of the great people we were able to interact with, which left us very excited for Metalcon 2023. See you in Vegas next year!
