Document B5NZ9xqwmG5bRdDgy7Rg3EmMk

L IA 2A 162 LEAD INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION. INC. 2 0 2 MADISON AvCNUC NEW YORK. N. Y, 10017 TII.CPMONI - ARIA COOK All O \ MOIS H-SCTTilC TRUCK ROUND-UP AT UHI0H ELECTRIC'S ALL-ELECTRIC RANCH" C. T. Heaton Manager, Sales Promotion and Development Division, Union Electric Co. It is a real pleasure to be with you gentlemen this Doming to talk about the Electric Truck Round-Up held by our Company in cooperation with the distributors of electric truck and battery equipment. We all like to talk abcut our successful programs, and the Electric Truck RoundUp fits this classification. At Union Electric our one product Is electricity - electricity to serve cany needs in the residential, commercial, and industrial markets. Ue know from past experience, that whenever special enphasis or promotion Is Given to an application that uses electricity, more of the product is sold and placed in use in our customer's premise. In formulating thia electric truck program, we had to consider a number of factors: 1. Sons of our large commercial and industrial customers had never seen an electric truck in operation, and few if any, had seen more than two trucks at any one tine. 2. Some customers were not aware of the capabilities of electric trucks. 3. Some customers were unaware of the long life of the truck and batteries. 4. Some customers did not know that their particular Job could be handled by electric trucke. 5. Host customers felt that the costs were high, and providing wiring capacity for battory charging might be an expensive proposition. However, we knew that some custonere were building new facilities, and the tine to install the wiring was when the building was being built. Ahead with L*+d "Presented at tho 36th Annual Meeting of the Lead Industrlea Association, Inc., Chase Park Plata Hotel, St. Louis, Ho., April 21-22, 1964 C. T. Heaton -2- Manager, Sales Promotion and Development Division, Union Electric Co. 6. Vo felt that in general, the custoners and our Own sales people did not have enough detailed knowledge concerning electric trucks and their operation. And last, but certainly not least, 7. Wo felt that a customer meeting at our new Dorsctt All Electric Warehouse would provide another opportunity for our industrial customers to see many fine applications of olectric space heating, process heating, and quality lighting of all types. Although, this promotion was planned in our 1?63 Budget, a letter from Hr. Ziegfeld of the Lead Industries Association asking how our Company was proacting the electric truck, encouraged us to finalize and execute our plans. l.'e considered many ideas relative to the promotion of electric trucks. We felt that we could r.ot get custoners to ccm.e to this meeting if ire said to them "Cone out to our warehouse, way out in the country (if you're lucky y-ou'll find it), and look at some electric trucks." Since wo had sor.o good results with other meetings by dramatizing the program....We decided upon a Wild '..'eat theme, which included exhibitors and our sales people being dressed In cowboy and cowgirl costumes, complete lath 10 gallon hats. Our program invitations featured a Rodeo theme. Ke invited our customers to visit us at the tarsett All Electric P-anch, eat with us at the 'chuck wagon", and see an exhibition of the finest electric trucks in any corral. After femuisting preliminary plans, we contacted the distributors of electric truck and battery equipment in the St. Louis area, and asked their participation in tho "Kound-Up". The response was enthusiastic from. 13 electric truck repre sentatives and 5 fcatfry companies. Union Electric agreed to furnish the location, the customers and the dinner. The exhibitors would decorate and nan their own booths, equip then with trucks and batteries and be prepared to demonstrate one of their vehicles for a two nir.ute period in a highlighted center ring. Invitations were nailed out, and we waited for our guests to arrive for the first of the two neetir.gs. While chow was being served in our temporary dining area, songs of the old west were played over the loud speaker system to add color to the meeting. After ward a 15 minute talk on the overall merits, advantages, arxl capabilities of the electric trucks was given by one of our Industrial Supervisors. The group then moved to tho corral area, idicro tho guests were able to stand or. a platfom rsised 5 feet above the lovol of the corral. With appropriate comments from tho hewd wrangleer, each truck went through a two minute series of intricate maneuvers in the spotlighted corral, to accent the comparison between electric and gasoline engine powered trucks. Following the center ring activities, the custoners were encouraged to visit each of the exhibitor's booths, to get a closer view of the equipment, and talk to the salesmen about their eloctric truck needs. Each visitor was also given an opportunity to tour the All Electric Warehouse with our Engineers as guidos. --we C. T. Heston -3- Mar.agcr, dales Pronotion and Development Division, Union Electric Co. Our objectives in this promotion were two fold! 1. To shot.', donor.:.trite, and sell customers or. tho nerits of the electric trucks. 2. To expose customers to tho nary applications of elec tricity four.l in Dorsctt All Electric L'arehouse. St. Louis at this tine had beer, suffering th.rouch a 40 day period of drought. The first meeting ins highlighted with flashes of lightning, but amazingly enough no rain. On the second night, hcvever, vo had a deluge. It rained oo hard, that we had to ferry our customers in au*. oc.obilea from the p-trkir.t lot to the warehouse area, otherwise, they would have beer, completely drenched. Unfortunately these slides I*a going to show you were taxon during this second perfonsar.ee. (Clide 1) Tho first slide shows the tables set up in the riddle of the ware house area. Hotice sore of our personnel in westom clothes. (Slide 2) The second slide taken Just before the rain ar.d before the meeting, shows 3o.se of the trucks lined up in the exhibit areas. The occasion l/as r-ido even no re festive by strings of lights mounted directly over the trucks. (Slide 3) The t elide chows tho L shaped area there the corral was set up on the first right. Incidentally, the battery exhibitors had their displays located under a roof overhang which you cannot see in this slide. (Slide 4) This nc:i slide a.'.s..c the trucks after they were hastily moved ir.to the treheus-. It ' as little crc'ded, but with a great deal of cooperation, all trucks were neved and displayed so that tho visitors could view then. (Clide 5) This slide shews a demonstration of tho trucks, incidentally wo had about tC vehicles exhibited. The guests were restrained with ropes strung along each side of the viewing area. That funr.y looking object being carried hr the electric truck is a larce r.etal bo::. On the front, of it is a painted bulls head and a set of horns. Pals particular exhibitor vent through a very humorous arvi interesting demonstration of the Debility of the vehicle as a bull pitted against a matador. In this ease the bull won out. (Slide 6) To add further interest to the show, tw of our eirls dressed up ir. a korso eostune and went through some very Interesting and tumorous antics of horsepower of yesterday. (Slide 7) Hero's another truck being demonstrated. (Clide 8) The next view shows part of the crowd talklnpwith tho exhibitors in their respective booths. ' (Clide 9) Tho last slide shows the end of the evening, i/ith a few customers remaining to talk with the exhibitors and to get a final rido on tho little scooter shown in the background. C. T. Ho.iton iianager, Hales Promotion and Development Division, Union Electric Co, h'ow, what were the results of this meeting? '.'ell, in two nights more than 750 perrons attended these ncctins. The 13 electric truck and 5 battery exhibitors reported that sales were nude right at tho meetings. A follow-up sent to the ex hibitors indicated that everyone expected that their sales would grow in 1964 as a result of this exhibition of electric trucks and the demonstration of its many advantages. Come conservative exhibitors estimated that their sales would rise 25^. ltany predicted a 100^1 increaso over the '63 sales, and some predicted 500 increase over the '63 sales. Here are some of the connents of the exhibitors: 1. "This show t.ss excellent. V.'erc able to demonstrate trucks to our customers and sold three of them as a direct result of the show, l.'e would be nost happy to participate in future shows of this nature.' 2. '".iladelphia management thought this was the best they had ever seen, h'e are for it, and thank you." 3. "Because of the interest shown, you should have another show in 12 to 13 months." 6. "Best s!;ce: I ;;as ever in, hepe you have norc. ' 5. '"..'e received several orders aa direct result of the chow, plus ncirlng cur standing with cany care companies, inducing Union Electric. 6. "As a r.crber of tho battery industry, I would say that your True'.: hour.d-Vp program stimulated interest in electric trucks. I can third: of at least six electric trucks tiiat '.-ere purchased that could have gone either gas or electric, and went olectric because of the equipment aisplayed at your show. Gentlemen, iron our standpoint, we feel that this show was a great success, l.'e, the exhibitors, and tho customers gained a great deal from it, and had fun at the same time. \'o foci that as a result of this show, noi"e customers are aware of the capabilities of electric truchs, and will tu.' the.-., Jecondly, more customers are aware of the many advantages of nr. all electric building, and will consider this concept in the new buildings that arc being built today. Thank you Gentlemen for allowing me to tell you about what I thiric was a successful promotion.