Okay, I’ll weigh in on this thread.
Snap On is publically traded company. It is listed on NASDAQ (SNA.A). It closed at $70.31 on Friday. The stock price’s 52 week high was $70.85 and its 52 week low was $41.74.
As an owner of Snap On Stock and a user of its tools, I’m sort of on both sides of the issue.
I want my Snap On stock to surge in price and profits. I’ve invested my money with Snap On because I think the company is here to stay and it has a future (in spite of Harbor Freight, China, etc. selling their tools much cheaper.). It also pains me to pay mega bucks for a SO socket that I can buy something that is similar at Lowe’s for about 1/16th the price.
Snap On’s Chairman of the Board, CEO and President is Nicholas T. Pinchuk. Before joining Snap-on in 2002, Pinchuk worked for United Technologies Corporation and Ford Motor Company. Pinchuk is an engineer by education holding Master and Bachelor of Science degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, NY). He also has a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School (MBA 1976)
Pinchuk’s Total Annual Compensation Package is $7,801,760.00. He also has exercisable stock options in the amount of $926,535.00 and about $800,000 worth of stock options that will become payable on his staying on at Snap On.
I don’t know if Pinchuk gets the Big Red Snap On box for free, but if not, I think we can agree that he can afford one easily, even without the employee discount.
Snap On’s stockholders (of which I am one) pay Pinchuk very well to make money for its shareholders. I won’t say every special truck tools deal offered by Snap On is personally approved by Pinchuk but I’d say someone who reports to him approves just about all of them. The cheap Snap On pocket knife that was made in China or somewhere else) – this was the idea of someone who worked for someone at Snap On.
I’m not sure of the business arrangement and its Snap On Truck Owners. I know some truck owners are members on this Forum and I’m sure being a truck owner requires the ability to keep a fine balance between business decision making and salesmanship. (Are there any female truck owners?)
I'd actually like to know what the "buy in" cost to get an outfitted Snap On Truck is? Anyone know?
I’m sure owning a truck comes with many, many problems and that some drivers are very successfully and some are just holding on. Offering “truck credit” to wrench turners is tough because not only are they are your customers but at the same time a lot of them are you debtors. As a truck owner you want to turn a profit while at the same time keeping your customers happy.
I’m also pretty sure some of the Snap On truck owners mortgaged their houses to buy into the truck and this causes additional pressure.
Reading about the student discount and how Snap On marks up its tools “too much” and that “the students cheating the system by reselling the tools” and the “truck owners being upset because a student price list is posted”. . . . like many things in life – there are different sides to this story.
Snap On wants future wrench turners to get hooked on Snap On tools - - think of it like your local crack dealer “here, just try this, it won’t hurt you” – get someone to start with a great brand of tools and you suddenly decide you can do with nothing less (if you don’t believe this – read the threads on this forum by the Snap On lovers).
As for the wrench turners – most of them need great tools at good prices. Many of them are working on a small profit margin and trying to keep their love of having great tools and balancing it against truck credit, car note, house note, etc. Most mechanics work hard, made a decent living but they want great tools at good prices. The mechanics have to deal with overhead just like Mr. Pinchuk does.
The truck owners have a lot of money into the game. I’m not sure of what the buy in is for a Snap On Franchises is (I’d like to know if someone would post it). I don’t know what the average cost of inventory of a truck costs but the key to a Truck Owner making money is to buy the tools at the lowest price they can, sell them at a higher price and make sure that after the bills are paid (insurance, truck maintenance, fuel, finance charges, health insurance, - - the list goes on. The truck owners have the same issues as Mr. Pinchuk and the wrench turners have.
Folks, this is business in America.
The short answer to this long post:
1. Snap On is a publically traded company in business to make money.
2. Snap On Truck Owners are usually small businessmen in business to make money.
3. Snap On Tool owners (at least the ones who make a living with the tools) are in the business to make money.
If you give this some thought you can see all the sides.
Does anyone know if Mr. Pinchuk subscribes to Garage Journal? I’d like to PM him and see if he gets an employee discount and would be willing to help me out?
Anyway, keep the conversation pleasant and I’ll continue to read.