How this Apparel Manufacturer Opened A New Stream of Revenue with Alfex Laser

“We saw an opportunity to offer more to our existing client base… we’ve gone from strength to strength are very happy with our decision to partner with Alfex Laser”.

KEY STATS

• Business portfolio extends revenue stream
• 600% increase in sales in first year
• 200% increase year on year

 

WHO IS SPORTS CENTRE? 

Established in 1974 in Adelaide, Sports Centre has grown to become one of Australia’s largest custom sports, school and corporate apparel manufacturers.

Sports Centre employs 60 full-time staff and provides a vast range of affordable, high-quality garments. Sports Centre work with hundreds of schools, businesses, recreational organisations and sporting clubs across Australia!

Over the years, instead of shifting to overseas production like most of their competitors, Sports Centre maintained a local presence. This has allowed them to complement offshore production as a way to offer more to their clients.

Sports Centre’s strength is their market offering. They provide the full complement of products and services that their target customer would need.

With over 6,000 active sporting & corporate clients, Sports Centre’s existing client base held a large opportunity.

Adam Knight, General Manager tells us “We saw an opportunity to offer more to our existing client base. Awards and Trophies was a natural extension to our existing products and services.”

“As we have grown, so has our business portfolio. We now have business off shoots that focus on a wide range of related market segments.”

  • Sports Centre – Apparel, Medical, Equipment & Events
  • AESS – Corporate, Medical, Hospitality, Work wear, Hi Vis, Signage & Events
  • Club Medical – Sports & Medical supplies
  • Stubbys Online – Stubby Holders.
  • School Sports Essentials – Sporting Equipment
  • Etches – Awards, Gift ware & Trophies

Sports Centre wanted to extend their range of products and services. Their goal was to incorporate a laser system to open up a new avenue of income which complimented their original offering to the sports market.

PURCHASING CONSIDERATIONS

BACK UP SERVICE

Sports Centre knew that the back-up support and after-sales service was just as important as the equipment itself. “It was very important for us to have the technical support when we needed it. Having someone we could speak to on the phone or in-person” explains Adam. “Alfex Laser offered the full range of machinery we required and the back-up service”.

Alfex Laser’s nation-wide team is on call for any laser machine questions or service. Our laser technicians have trained directly with Epilog Laser in the USA, and are factory-certified technicians. This means they understand exactly how each Epilog Laser machine works and can efficiently find solutions.

MARKET-LEADER

Paul, Sports Centre Awards Division Manager (and an experienced laser operator) had previous experience with Epilog Lasers. “We wanted to go with a trusted and experienced market leader”, said Adam. “Paul is very experienced and when he said he wanted to get an Epilog Laser, we listened to him!”.

In business since 1988, Epilog Laser has worked hard to become the leader in the laser engraving, cutting and marking industry. Alfex Laser chooses to offer only the highest-quality laser systems to Australian businesses.

VERSATILITY

Sports Centre was after a high-quality laser system that could cut and engrave detailed designs such as club logos precisely.

The laser needed to be versatile, and used with glass, trophy plates, acrylic, leather, plastic, wood, MDF and more. Since awards and trophies come in all different shapes and sizes, the equipment should have the ability to work on flat or curved surfaces.

THE SOLUTION

Sports Centre required two machines to achieve their goal: a CO2 Laser and a specialist engraving machine.

Alfex Laser worked with Sports Centre to understand:
– the size and nature of the applications
– materials they wanted to use
– the budget that Sports Centre had to invest in their equipment

Sports Centre purchased the Epilog Laser Helix 50W and also the Vision Engraver Max Pro.

The Vision Engraver Max Pro is a versatile machine that allows for engraving of flat, deep, round or odd-shaped items in one compact, easy-to-use machine.

With the Max Pro’s automatic surface-sensing feature, Sports Centre would be able to easily engrave on flat and curved surfaces on a wide range of materials such as trophies, cups, glass, plastic, brass, coated and non-coated metals, artificial stone, crystal, and more.

The Epilog Helix is a mid-sized laser and is the number one choice for engravers worldwide with the highest quality motion control system and most features on the market. With the Helix, Sports Centre would be able to achieve highest-quality engraving and cutting of wood, acrylics, plastics, stone, and much more.

RESULTS

In the very first trophy season, Sports Centre saw a 600% increase in sales.

Adam explains, “We now see a 200% increase each year in the trophy and awards division”, explains Adam. “We are now strategically planning on other uses for the laser systems outside of trophy season.”

What advice would you give others
looking to purchase a laser system?

– Incorporating a Laser in the business benefits by reducing production time.

– It can also open avenues for different marketplaces. A laser is so versatile, you just need to think of your customer base and what you can offer them.

– Know what you are buying, be specific on what applications you have in mind or want to develop.

– Different machine powers can affect your applications and abilities, it is best to get advice from a laser expert and test out the materials on various wattages and models so you can see the result.

– Know your software I personally recommend CorelDRAW as no program in between (direct interpretation).

– Stay away from water cooled lasers from cheaper offshore brands. I strongly recommend to spend the money getting something decent with local support, help with installation and training.

– A good operator can utilize the equipment to develop new unique products using many different substrates, we are very happy with how its heading for us and excited for the future.

Adam Knight, General Manager
Sports Centre

HOW AFFORDABLE IS A LASER SYSTEM?

Use our online calculator tool to work out how you can easily cover the cost of your laser!

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