A buying COOP was A wrenches convention [RE-wrenches]

[Travis Creswell, Ozark Solar]

Without having knowing the history of Michael's suggestion and have only
being in the solar biz for 10 years and not being from CA I agree with Wendy
er I mean Windy.  I would be surprised if all of us combined have the buying
power that SMUD already does not to mention everything else that goes along
with a successful large scale business (capital, marketing, capital,
financing programs, large exiting customer base, capital)  Did I mention
capital?  SMUD supposedly already has contracts in place to buy PV for less
than $2/watt.  Bill and Bill, is that what Vince Schwent(?) was saying at
the MO Governors Conference?

Manufacturers want to deal with people who want to make money not people who
believe that products should be in peoples hands just because its the right
thing to do.  I'm afraid a buying COOP would get looked at as a non-profit
organization by the manufacturers and we wouldn't get taken very seriously. 
I'm not saying its "right" but the people who make solar panels are owned by
stock holders and they don't own that stock to make themselves feel good.

Travis  
----------
>From: "Windy Dankoff, Dankoff Solar" <windy at dankoffsolar.com>
>To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
>Subject: RE: A wrenches convention [RE-wrenches]
>Date: Mon, Feb 5, 2001, 4:13 PM
>

>>Michael Welch, Home Power wrote:
>>>  tom wrote at 09:22 AM 2/4/2001 -0800:
>>>   
>>>  >We need to form a large collective buying and professional group to get
>>>  >buying leverage from the major suppliers or inverters, solar modules,
>>  > >etc.
>
>I disagree. This is the role of distributors. We (Dankoff and others 
>distribs) already provide that function, at a low markup, and with 
>value-added services like warehousing, consolidated shipments, and 
>other forms of support.
>
>Who would administer the buying collective? How would they get 
>compensated for the significant effort involved? By taking a little 
>percentage? Ahaaa !  By being a distributor!
>
>Windy
>
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 RE-wrenches at topica.com

The archive of previous messages: 
 http://www.topica.com/lists/RE-wrenches/

To unsubscribe send a message to: 
 RE-wrenches-unsubscribe at topica.com

To check out the other RE-Wrench participants:
 www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/index.html

Hosted by Home Power magazine: 
 www.homepower.com

For info contact list moderator by email:
 michael.welch at homepower.com

____________________________________________________________
T O P I C A  -- Learn More. Surf Less. 
Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Topics You Choose.
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag01