Good Connections Magazine

evin KraL is the Vice President & General Manger responsible for overseeing the Alpine business for ITW. Previously he was the Engineering Director for ITW's ResidenŸal ConstrucŸon Design Center in Lake Forest, Illinois, where he led the research and development of innovaŸve fastener and connector systems for the wood-to-wood construcŸon market. He also served as Research & Development Manager at the ITW InnovaŸon Center in Glenview, Illinois." Choosing between a supplier and a partner is an important part of everyday business. Many companies make purchasing decisions based on tradiŸonal bidding methods. These methods include buying only on price, relying only on transacŸon interacŸon and leveraging suppliers at every turn. Take a minute and ask yourself, "Is that the right decision for your company? Are you looking for a supplier or a partner?" To win in the marketplace, component manufacturers need to differenŸate themselves and their business model within their markets. We believe Alpine can play a role in that differenŸaŸon through our products, service and partnership. AcŸng as a business partner, Alpine provides a tailored business relaŸonship based on mutual trust and openness. Alpine's mission is to partner with and support the component manufacturer. This means not pu« ng CMs in a box but rather allowing them to differenŸate for their individual market, business model, and value offered to the market. With this mindset, Alpine has the unique ability to respond to variance. Our sales and support teams reach out to each customer as an individual enŸty and create a customized experience that serves the customer in the best way possible. Alpine provides best in class support for soLware, engineering, and equipment while conŸnuously innovaŸng to posiŸon our partners for success. Our people listen, strive to understand the industry and local markets, and invest in our customer's success. Working together we can foster innovaŸon so both partners can improve their offerings by developing soluŸons that empower CMs to address exisŸng market needs. Open communicaŸon with customers creates an environment of conŸnuous feedback. This allows Alpine to set up a customized mix of product, process, and support to best meet the needs of the individual operaŸon's requirements. We pride ourselves on the relaŸonships that have been built on a foundaŸon of honesty and integrity while also recognizing that each customer's needs will change over Ÿme. Alpine will conŸnue to opŸmize the customer experience, providing soluŸons which enable customer growth and success through a combinaŸon of soLware evoluŸon, equipment innovaŸon, and service to enable maximum performance for every Alpine fabricator. Choosing between a supplier and a partner is an important part of every component manufacturer's success. The reward of choosing Alpine as a partner is a compeŸŸve advantage for the component manufacturer. Alpine will work with each individual customer, connecŸng to build a strong future. OBSERVATIONS Kevin Kraft, Vice President & General Manager Alpine K Alpine Partnerships Create a Competitive Advantage 3 GOOD CONNECTIONS | Summer 2019 Connecting for the Future

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