Valin Corporation Unveils ValinOnline.com
Sunnyvale, CA ---March 23, 2000 -- Valin Corporation, a 25 year old leading supplier of fluid handling, measurement and control products announces the launch of their new business-to-business, e-commerce web site and catalog, www.ValinOnline.com. ValinOnline offers real-time pricing and availability as well as in-depth product information on thousands of name-brand products used for high purity, industrial process and sanitary process applications. "ValinOnline is more than just a place where our customers can browse, specify, and purchase products. Our goal is to make ValinOnline an integral part of our customers' total Valin experience. We've done a lot of research and customized this site to meet their needs." says Scott Mobley, President and Chief Operating Officer.
Thousands of products offered online
ValinOnline.com makes its debut with over 6000 items, including: valves, fittings, quick couplings, pressure regulators, pressure gauges, pressure transducers, filters, tubing and numerous other products used in industrial process applications. The catalog lists 12 major product families, which are divided into 87 product subcategories. The initial catalog has over 50 of these subcategories populated with products that can be ordered online immediately. To help customers locate which product they need, the catalog was developed with a parametric search feature called QuickSpec™ Product Selection Guide. Using an intuitive, dropdown menu
format, QuickSpec lets customers select multiple product attributes (connection type, size, materials of construction, etc.) and returns only those items that match the criteria. "Our products are very technical and application-specific. Customers who choose or specify these products are typically engineers and other technical professionals who need to have as much detail available to them as possible," says Janet DeMint, Valin's Manager of Electronic Commerce. As a result, QuickSpec leads a knowledgeable user quickly to the exact product he's looking for. Users can also search by part number, manufacturer name, keywords, or crossover competitors' part numbers using a conventional search engine. In-depth product information, including product descriptions, photos, illustrations, technical specifications, dimensional drawings, and application data, are readily available on the site.
Complete transaction capability
Offering complete online ordering capability, ValinOnline allows users to place an immediate order by credit card or apply for an open account with a credit line. An online credit application lets the user submit a request for an open account directly to Valin with a one day turn-around for credit approval. In addition to ordering products, users can check pricing and availability in real-time. The catalog is connected directly into Valin's enterprise system, allowing users to view their own pricing, quantity discounts, and in-stock availability. Valin typically ships over 90% of their products within 24 hours from stock. Back ordered products are given estimated delivery times, and customers can check order status and track UPS deliveries on the site.
Although there are a number of industrial suppliers who have online, transactional catalogs; ValinOnline offers the unusual combination of online ordering, product configuration, and in-depth technical product information not commonly found in the industrial sector. "ValinOnline is unique today in having a total solution for online technical product selection and ordering. We pride ourselves on understanding the needs of our customers, and we wanted to deliver a solution to meet those needs," explains Alan Vidinsky, Chairman and CEO of Valin Corporation.
Developed with extensive customer input
During the concept phase, Valin conducted extensive research through face-to-face customer interviews to determine essential elements in building an e-commerce site tailored for their customer base. Based on customer feedback, Valin implemented features such as customized pricing, order tracking, real-time product availability, a parametric search feature, in-depth technical product information, and a toll-free customer service line to walk first time users through the process.
About Valin
Valin Corporation, headquartered in Sunnyvale California, is a total solutions supplier, offering products, services, and engineering support related specifically to fluid handling, process measurement, analysis, automation, and control. Founded in 1974, Valin is a privately-held, Total Quality Managed company with ISO 9001 certification. Valin's customer base includes world-class manufacturing companies, engineering and construction firms, government agencies, and research facilities that span a wide range of industries that include semiconductor manufacturing, petroleum refining, biopharmaceutical, food processing, utilities, chemical processing, scientific research, analytical systems and medical device manufacturing. Valin's e-commerce catalog address is www.valinonline.com. Valin's corporate web site address is www.Valin.com.
Valin Corporation, 555 E. California Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086. Tel: 408-730-9850; Fax: 408-730-1363.