Straightpoint Upscales U.S. Dealer Network

Straightpoint Inc. has named three new distributors as the manufacturer of force measurement, load monitoring and suspended weighing load cell equipment continues to raise its profile in the U.S. scale market.

The Scale People Inc., of Newport News, Virginia; R.D. Jacobs Company, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Cooper Instruments & Systems, of Warrenton, Virginia—in that order—have all joined in recent months. Each has an established presence in the industrial scale marketplace, widening Straightpoint’s scope beyond its traditional lifting and rigging sectors.

Straightpoint’s Wayne Wille with Craig Buck, president, and Virginia Thayer Smith, sales, The Scale People Inc.

Rex Cooper, president, Cooper Instruments, said: “We have sold similar products for years, but we have never had the wide range of products Straightpoint offers for the heavy lifting industry. Additionally, we are finding more customers are looking for wireless solutions and they offer a wide range of wireless sensors that align well with our current offerings.”

Cooper’s sentiments were echoed to a large extent by Jim Bloodgood, president, R.D. Jacobs. He said: “I have been aware of the Straightpoint product range for some time. I am a long time distributor of another similar product, but Straightpoint offers a number of excellent solutions that are not available through other suppliers.” Bloodgood also alluded to the “exemplary” support he has received from the load cell manufacturer since joining its network.

Jim Bloodgood, president, R.D. Jacobs

The Scale People agreement also captures the essence of an outreach campaign that is being spearheaded by Wayne Wille, who recently joined Straightpoint as technical sales manager, with the company serving process control, laboratory, medical and commercial industries. Cooper and Bloodgood both expect demand from the aerospace sector, while automotive, food processing, utilities, shipping and energy were among other industries referenced by Straightpoint’s three new partners.

Wille said: “These appoints serve as landmarks as I continue to enjoy the challenges presented by my new role. It will be interesting to monitor as they introduce our product range to their customers and we develop an understanding of what might be required from each party to explore the mutual opportunities presented by the respective partnerships.”

Steve Bobish, outside sales (left) and Rex Cooper, president, Cooper Instruments.

He added: “It is within my breadth of work to introduce Straightpoint’s products to markets beyond cranes and rigging, which is hugely rewarding given the extent of our technological innovation and the scale network’s familiarity with state-of-the-art systems and software that offers them a complete solution.”

John Molidor, general manager, Straightpoint Inc., said: “While we are a below-the-hook equipment manufacturer, we offer a technologically advanced rigging product. What Wayne brings to the company is a background and connections in the U.S. scale dealer network, which is more mature in terms of its uptake of such technology. That is naturally very exciting.”