Fuzion: Improving Efficiencies And Product Access
October 23, 2009 Timing has never been better for Fuzion LLC to introduce its new, innovative business model to the ag retail industry.
“With all of the consolidation in the market, the independent retailer and cooperative is getting lost in the shuffle,” says Mike Steffeck, CEO of Fuzion, LLC. “By going directly to the retailer, we can offer them a combination of technology and products that can have an immediate impact on their balance sheet and income statement.”
Steffeck says his Ft. Collins, CO-based company, which consists of Fuzion Technologies and Fuzion B2B, can offer the right solution in today’s challenging market.
“These two business platforms go well beyond a simple ‘buy sell’ relationship and offer independent retailers and cooperatives a compelling and profitable opportunity,” he says.
Specifically, Fuzion Technologies offers a broad line of products directly to retailers, while Fuzion B2B is a system developed for retailers which allows them to regain control of their crop protection business by helping them manage inventories and expand their sourcing options.
In addition to consolidation, Steffeck says retailers are facing other challenges in today’s market, such as major price shifts with crop inputs.
“Severe price fluctuations, particularly in the fertilizer and the chemical business in the past 24 months, are also impacting the market,” he says. “We’ve seen a very erratic price shift go up, and then back down quickly, leaving some people with a tricky inventory position.”
Products Company: Fuzion Technologies
Heading up Fuzion Technologies is Casey McDaniel, who has held various sales, marketing, and management positions with both BASF and Crop Production Services (CPS). He says Fuzion Technologies can offer a product line that helps even the playing field for retailers.
“Today’s retail business is more competitive than ever,” McDaniel says. “Off patent chemistries have hit the floor quicker than ever. And those retailers who don’t have products with a differential advantage or a best price, lose.”
In addition to the 14 registrations it just acquired, Fuzion has another six registrations expecting approval in late fall. While these products will represent the initial Fuzion Technologies product line, McDaniel says it will have three unique products in development and expect to launch them in the next 12 months.
“This is just the beginning, we expect to have a very complete stable of proprietary and post patent products within 2 years,” McDaniel says.
Currently, Fuzion Technologies’ crop protection portolio includes a mix of herbicides and insecticides, as well as one fungicide. In addition, McDaniel expects the company to build it’s premium performance products over the next two years, including Banzai (enhanced clethodim) and Czar (glyphosate).
Fuzion Technologies also plans to introduce an adjuvant and micronutrient line for 2010.
Inventory Management: Fuzion B2B
The FuzionB2B.com retailer network will directly complement the Fuzion Technologies business and product line.
“FuzionB2B.com incorporates the best, patented technology from the XSAg.com system, fortifies it and offers it to retailers in a powerful yet simple platform,” Steffeck says. “Independent retailers and cooperatives will now have a simple inventory management tool, cash flow mechanism, and a product sourcing platform that will present to them numerous financial and competitive advantages.”
FuzionB2B features a double blind, turn-key, patented process that manages the financial settlement, shipping, and logistics process on the retailer’s behalf, Steffeck says.
“Our objective is to create a group of retailers in this B2B network,” Steffeck explains. “And give them the opportunity to move inventory they may be long on, while at the same time give someone else the opportunity to take advantage of that situation. This is really no different than the opportunity that the mega retailers have today.”
Retailers interested in enrolling in the system can enroll at FuzionB2B.com and begin posting and liquidating their inventories.
Promising Start
Initial retailer reaction to the Fuzion Technologies business and the FuzionB2B.com network has been positive, Steffeck says.
“While neither of these is complex, both are nontraditional opportunities that require a little more explanation,” he says. “Once the entire scope of the Fuzion B2B network and the opportunities for them within the Fuzion Technologies business is understood, their reaction is overwhelmingly positive. There is no downside — and an abundance of upside and flexibility for their businesses.”
More information on the retailer network as well as Fuzion Technologies can be found at www.FuzionB2B.com or by calling 888-Fuzion8.
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