Krayden, Inc. offers numerous solutions for the solar energy industry. As an authorized distributor of leading manufacturers serving the photovoltaic market, including Dow Corning, Henkel Loctite, 3M, Humiseal, FCT Assembly, Lord, and Cytec, and others the company is able to supply a full line of coatings, tapes, PV sealants, conductive Inks, PV adhesives, lead-free solder, and PV potting agents. Here we catch up with Wayne Wagner, Krayden, Inc.'s president, to see how the company's PV side of the business is growing.
Altenergymag Interview - PV Product Distribution
Wayne Wagner | Krayden, Inc.
Krayden is becoming a leading distributor of solar and photovoltaic products. How long has Krayden been in this market and why did the company get into it?
Krayden, Inc. is 20 years old. In many ways, we have always been in the alternative energy field by distributing polymer conductives, adhesives, coatings and solder solutions. With the Green movement, we were well-positioned because of our coverage and unique product offerings. It was natural for us to enter this market because there are so many start ups that need support in solders, conductive and protective materials. There also is the need to process the material and that is a huge part of our value proposition.
How do you choose which manufacturers’ products to distribute? Will you add more PV products to your repertoire?
We are one of the few distributors who does not try to have 100+ product lines, so for us it is easy. We pick companies that are either #1 or 2 in their respective markets, or they bring us a new technology. We love to sell at an engineering problem-solving level. The Solar market needs this right now. We will be selective in any additions. Our reputation demands it.
In the future, do you anticipate the PV side being the largest percentage of Krayden’s business? Why or why not?
It is definitely a possibility but we are well established in many markets such as electronics, aerospace, transportation, as well as all OEMs who have a need for an adhesive, coating, etc. We hope it grows to be one of our top five markets.
Recently Krayden became an authorized distributor of the Dow Corning Solar Solutions line of PV products. Krayden also distributes other Dow Corning products. How does this prior relationship help Krayden distribute the PV products?
Dow Corning’s partnership with Krayden, Inc. is special. They are #1 in silicones and we KNOW silicones. So this was a natural addition. But make no mistake, this market has specific needs and that is why we distribute the Dow Corning Solar Solutions line. Not every silicone has the performance or reliability that Dow Corning has tested for. We are great partners and we know how to work with each other to get the most for our customers.
How does Dow Corning help Krayden provide full-service solutions to customers? Does it also help you to accommodate the evolving solar market?
Dow Corning Solar Solutions has a small assembly line, technical support and all of this is available to Krayden, Inc. and its Solar customers. Our relationship allows us to pull from their resources, assisting customers at the engineering and development stage of production.
Are Krayden’s employees manufacture trained on all products offered by the company? How is this accomplished?
The short answer is yes. The longer answer is no one can train on every item they sell. However, as I said, we do not carry so many lines that we just hand a catalog over to someone and ask them to tell us what they use. We allocate multiple training per year for each of our sellers. It is the cost of doing business at a technical level. We also have an amazing retention in keeping our sellers. This makes them experts for a long time. These trainings are done at the manufacturer’s facility or in the field. We also train at the customer’s location when a specific application requires it.
What advantages does Krayden offer over other distributors of PV materials?
As previously mentioned, we do more than logistics. But when we do logistics, we have a few special things we provide our customer to let them feel at ease when they entrust us with one of their Purchase Orders. We call it “World Class Customer Service.” Additionally, I return every customer call and personally address any issue that needs attention. Every order regardless of how big or small is cared for. Oh, and by the way, we do not have a minimum order. What customer has time to deal with that? They want what they want ― we make sure we give it to them.
Is the solar/PV industry growing at a rapid, average or stagnant rate at this time? In your opinion, why is this the case? Where will the solar industry be in five years?
It is growing in both activity and volume. Let’s see what incentives come out to help drive this market before we make too many predictions. But I am an optimist!
Krayden, Inc. offers numerous solutions for the solar energy industry. As an authorized distributor of leading manufacturers serving the photovoltaic market, including Dow Corning, Henkel Loctite, 3M, Humiseal, FCT Assembly, Lord, and Cytec, and others the company is able to supply a full line of coatings, tapes, PV sealants, conductive Inks, PV adhesives, lead-free solder, and PV potting agents. Its technically based and manufacture-trained staff helps companies manufacturing solar cells and modules by providing them with innovative and knowledgeable manufacturing solutions as well as assisting with repackaging and dispensing needs in solar power applications.
The content & opinions in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of AltEnergyMag
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