Well, it has been a long restful off season at AQS and a few items are just begging to be reported in the AQS newsletter so we are officially back in gear as a source of information, amusement, and even a little advertising will be popping up in our newsletters this season. We promise that the advertising will not be the “in your face” style that you have to endure with most every other information source these days. I hope to make it so subtle that you will not even notice it until it’s too late.
BACK TO REGULAR HOURS AT AQS ————–The first day of spring is on March 19th this year. We will switch from winter hours to regular business hours starting on that date. You probably remember that we open at 8 AM and close at 4 PM , Mon. thru Fri. and will open by appointment almost any other time if you will call the cell #816 729 7681 and give us a little time to get to the store and prepare for our appointment with you. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy, unless you have a big emergency.
INTRODUCING A NEW SERVICE AT AQS ————–Estimating the approximate cost of having a sprinkler system installed, or the materials and machine costs associated with a DIY project by a home owner or by an un- initiated group of volunteers like “the athletic booster club” has always been a guessing game. It seems like the word “estimate” has been confused with “firm bid” in many cases and the difference is ill defined for some people. In an effort to clarify for the benefit of both the installing contractors and the end customer ”homeowner” AQS has initiated a program called PRO – ESTIMATES. It will also benefit DIY buyers and the store they buy from like AQS.
There are currently two companies in the area who have signed on to provide independent, professional estimating services in the market that AQS serves. They are Tel- Tec Corp and Stevenson International. Both can be reached thru this web-site or by calling AQS at 816 461 7627. They will make the initial visit, interview the customer, gather information, and provide an ESTIMATE based on the facts at the time. Further, they will arrange for a qualified installation contractor to provide a firm bid if the customer wants to proceed after receiving the estimate. PRO – ESTIMATERS will also arrange for a design to be drawn up at the customer’s expense if they want to go out for competitive bids from several contractors or if the customer wants to be a do -it – yourselfer. The design will include a detailed bill of materials PRICED OUT. The PRO – ESTIMATERS will also serve as expediters all thru the project and help with communications between customer, contractor, and supplier.
PRO – ESTIMATERS will not contract installations but will match up qualified contractors with customers and answer questions connected with the projects. They will normally be compensated by suppliers and contractors, but will in some cases do extra consulting and training, mostly for DIY’S, and will charge the customer on an hourly basis for that. They are independent businesses specializing in making the purchase of a sprinkler system easy and comfortable for the public, providing a source of customers for qualified contractors, and increasing market share for participating suppliers.
THE NEW MINI STANDARD (junior) VALVE BOX —————-is now available at AQS. It will handle housing three 1” valves quite easily at a fraction of the price of regular standard boxes. Less plastic will be visible in the yard. Home owners like that. A little less digging is required. Installers like that. Takes up less room in the warehouse. AQS likes that. — Everybody wins.
PRICE CHANGES AT AQS—————-are a necessary evil. As of this writing only a few increases have been made by our vendors but we expect more in the next few months. Some backflow preventers are up a little already this year. Poly pipe pricing usually gets adjustments about July 1st. We should have a good supply in stock at 2019 pricing before that. It may not last all year, however. Major manufacturers like Rainbird and Hunter usually publish new pricing in the spring or early summer. I have not received any notification yet, but I expect at least a small increase just because they can. Our biggest unknown usually is the freight costs that are directly tied to the price of oil usually. Right now oil is down, but that can change fast sometimes. We must pass along these changes as they affect us. Even on the items that we buy freight prepaid or included, we still have to pay in higher prices, higher minimum orders, or delays in shipping. So, Thanks for your understanding when “the necessary evil” comes into play.
To you contractors, you might be wise to put a contingency in your long term contracts, possibly tied to oil pricing or maybe even to the price of a certain component of sprinkler systems, like pipe, or gear heads,(something that you will always use a lot of). Also, call AQS any time to get current pricing, especially on big projects or for bids you are expecting to install in the distant future.
NEXT MONTH’S NEWSLETTER —————-will introduce you to new contractors in the KC area who are now working with AQS. Also, we always like to promote our existing contractors who have been instrumental in our success over the years. So, send us a blurb if you need a little more advertisement. Consider our newsletter your great big business card that we will be handing out.
Until next month, happy sprinkling, and may all your start – ups be trouble free !!
Darrell AQS Jones — 816 461 7627