Tools of the Trade: Malco's Drivers, Fasteners & More - PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with Rebecca Talbot of Malco Tools. You can read the interview below, listen to the podcast or watch the recording.

Intro: Hello everyone and welcome to this metal talk from Metal Coffee Shop. My name's Karen Edwards. I'll be hosting today and we're going to have a great conversation because our topic is all about Tools of the Trade: Drivers, Fasteners and More. And Rebecca Talbot from Malco Tools is joining me today. Welcome, Rebecca.

Rebecca Talbot: Hi Karen. Hello everyone. I'm really excited to be on this webinar cast and looking forward to our conversation.

Karen Edwards: Yeah. And before we dive into the conversation, just a little bit of housekeeping. This is being recorded and it will be available online on Metalcoffeeshop.com usually with in one to two days. So if you get as excited about tools as we do, we know you're going to want to share this with coworkers, friends, colleagues, family members. So let's get started. First of all, Rebecca, could you just tell us a little bit about you and your background and what you do there at Malco?

Rebecca Talbot: Yes. Well, I have been with Malco for the last year, year and a half and I have a background that has spanned from small companies to larger companies, but primarily always been in a B2B marketing role. My past has also included a lot of concentration around building automation infrastructure as well as tools and instruments I would say for HVAC Combustion and similar working at Residio, I went to school in Minnesota for my undergraduate degree and then I have a master's in business administration from Georgia Southwestern State University. But primarily my role has always been in the marketing field, heavily involved with channel strategy as well as marketing not only to the B2B customers, but also really driving marketing efforts towards the Trade Pro end user and making sure that the companies I'm working for are very appealing across all those different audience segments.

Karen Edwards: Excellent. Well I'm really excited to have you here. So let's dive in and talk about choosing the right tool for the job. Your tools can really affect your outcomes.

Rebecca Talbot: No, absolutely. Choosing the right tools for the job are somewhat obvious, but sometimes they're not as obvious the right tools for the job. It could lead to tool breakage if you're using something incorrectly for the wrong kind of size or the wrong application, and it could also affect the quality of your job as well. And then also too, more specifically it could influence or impact safety on the job or even the ergonomics of how you're using a tool that could really start to create some wrist problems. I'm thinking more specifically around the topic we're discussing today, which is drivers and fasteners, but wrist problems, problems when it comes to slippage around the handle of the tool to even being able to use the right tool for the job if something is impact rated or is just intended for a drill versus a handle attachment. So I think choosing the right tool is very important and one thing that Malco really stands behind is trying to educate end users and trade pros and contractors around choosing the right tool while also with our tagline of work perform outlast.

I'll tell you, I've been in the engineering and manufacturing space fully understanding that sometimes you use the tool that's closest to you versus the right tool. So it's not uncommon for Malco when we're doing some of our tool testing to take something and throw it off the back of a truck, slam it against a metal pole. Just understanding and accepting the fact that our tools, when we stand behind our work perform outlast tagline that we really do mean that and we're trying to make sure they're developed so you have the right tools for the job, but also understanding that sometimes the right tool might be the closest tool to you and making sure that we can stand behind that tagline.

Karen Edwards: The thought of taking something and smashing it or throwing it off the back of a truck is like, but these are real world scenarios that could happen. You could drop it, you could have it fall off of your truck and you've got to make sure it's going to last. Definitely.

Rebecca Talbot: Yes. Well, and for the roofing audience, we'll take some of our tools up even and we'll do a ladder drop or a roof drop knowing that things roll and fall onto the ground. And for some of our HVAC customers, that's more along the lines of when we're taking things and we're hitting them against metal poles or throwing them off the back of a truck height in a drop test just to make sure that they're usable and they're the right tool for the job, but that they also have a durability for the elements and for the work sites and job sites that people are on.

Karen Edwards: So having the right tool is so important for so many reasons, but let's talk a little bit about the risks. If you have a low quality tool or even the wrong tool, what could go wrong?

Rebecca Talbot: Right. Well, one thing I think that's really important to remember around the outcomes of using the wrong tool or a lower quality tool is first where it's going to hit your pocketbook. Having a tool that is not up to par with the quality of work that you want to have at the end of the day or the frequency with which you need to replace your tools as things strip, not all of our tools are meant to be something that are going to last for 20 years.

I have met some contractors though who will pull out very old snips or very old seamers and they have had them in their truck or their service vehicle for decades, whereas the things we're talking about today with the drivers and fasteners, those are somewhat consumable if you will. So if you're looking to get the highest use value out of a tool, making sure that you have the right tool for the job and also being conscientious of the quality of the tool that you're picking, I think is really something that is about the workmanship as well as how often or how frequently you need to replace tools for your service vehicles or for your belt.

Karen Edwards: All very good points and I've neglected to tell everyone that the chat is open, so feel free to say hello, tell us where you're from and if you have questions, go ahead and pop them in the chat. We'll have some time at the end to answer any questions that you might have. So let's keep going and let's talk about drivers and their importance to metal roofing contractors.

Rebecca Talbot: Well, so hex drivers are at the core of a lot of what Malco's business is. Many of you are very familiar with the, I've heard cleanable, reversible flippable sockets and Malco really was the innovator with that technology. So the drivers that we're showing you right now on the top, those are our cleanable reversible, so there's also a magnet that is inside there to help you get your fastener into the socket, but we have two socket sizes, so when you're using them on the job, you're easily able to pop them off that driver shaft, clean out the socket, clean the magnet and have premium tool operation because you're able to clean the magnet, clean any debris, clean any shavings out of the socket, as well as not needing to always carry multiple tools since we have two socket sizes on there. The flippable aspect is really one that is a core element or a core feature set of those building construction, C-Rex drivers and then the original C-Rex drivers that we have.

We also offer a line of non-flippables that are more about a spring load and so they're for use of the impact driver, all of them are impact rated, but you think about the types of jobs or conditions you may be in, whether it is a MRO job, so just maintenance and repair or whether it's a large install. We also have a line just of straight hex drivers and sockets as well as the sawtooth driver, which is kind of in the middle of the screen. It's the tall image and those are really cool for individuals who made me to be on the job site to get fasteners out of. I've heard it called a lot of different things. We just refer to it as sealant, but I've also heard of it called glue or [inaudible 00:09:29], whatever it is that's covering your fasteners.

So that sawtooth feature comes in a few sizes. It also has a magnet for fastener adherence and then it also is cleanable reversible, but the uniqueness around that tool is that it has teeth that allow you to cut through that sealant so you no longer need to take out flat screwdriver or a putty knife or even potentially harming your hand, something like a knife to cut out the fastener in order to be able to open up and get to what you need to be repairing on an MRO.

Karen Edwards: Yeah, you don't want to spend time fighting with it to try to get it out and having the right tool can make all the difference I think in efficiency and in quality as well. Right?

Rebecca Talbot: Yeah. The other feature too that's really nice to call out here is that we have a broad profile of drivers. So when you come to look at the wall at any of your wholesale distributors or you visit the Malco website, you are going to find things that are applicable for whatever it is you need it to be, even to the extent of the length of the shaft on the driver. We have it from six inches long, so all the way down to two inches. I've heard from some that those six inch ones are nice because you don't have to hunch over as far and you have a little bit more space between your impact or drill and then the operating end of the tool versus needing to have something that works better in tight spaces where you might want to opt for the two inch tight.

Karen Edwards: Yeah, there's a lot of options and we're going to talk a little bit later about how to pick the right ones, but when it comes to drivers, I know that you guys have are kind of the leader in quality in quantity as well because there are a lot. Any features you think that contractors have said they appreciate the most?

Rebecca Talbot: Really definitely the magnet has been one that is of top conversation, one that we see often with our reviews online. We sell through a variety of different sales channels, whether it be in wholesale distribution. You can find these drivers at retail locations, so that's your Home Depots, Lowe's, Menards, as well as online. If it's something where you'd prefer to purchase online and have it sent directly to your home or directly to your business, we do offer a broad portfolio and like Karen mentioned, we're going to get a little bit more into which color stems or shafts really are intended for the fasteners to optimize the working end of the tool. I would also say though that the flippable or the cleanable aspect is really, really great being able to pop that off and use the quarter five sixteenths as one set, so you're just grabbing one shaft, but two different socket sizes.

And then also I think it's really just important to note that these are pretty portable. They are available to be able to buy on a single hang tag in packs or three packs. You can put them in your pocket. Things that have been shared to me from different trade shows. Sometimes I'll go to a trade show and a contractor might be there with their spouse or their significant other and they'll have these, they just walk around with them in their pocket and their spouse or significant other will comment If I had to tell you how many times I have to pull this tool out of the dryer because it's clinking and clanking around on the dryer cycle mean, so these really become just a natural extension, something that really is a go-to tool on the job.

Karen Edwards: Yeah, I love it. I love that they're color coded too because they do look very much alike and so having the different colors makes it easy at a glance to tell them apart.

Rebecca Talbot: Yes, the tool identification of the color bands for sure.

Karen Edwards: Yeah, yeah. So let's talk about fasteners now and how they fit with metal roof installation and the different kinds that you guys have.

Rebecca Talbot: So our zip-in is really popular. It is a self-piercing sheet metal screw. We offer it in varying lengths. We also offer register fasteners as well as painted ones for more building construction or exteriors. Thinking about when you're trying to match almond to an almond downspout and you're trying to put those things on as exteriors to homes or to businesses, they do drive very, very fast because of their self-piercing. They have a tighter, they fit the metal much tighter as well. They work very well with our black stem. You see that on the cell sheet right there. It's the perfect fit with the magnet height. It's slightly adjusted for our zip-ins on those black drivers. Then we also have the bit-tip fastener, which is a drill and tap and a unique feature about the bit-tip that's very nice is that it is really about fitting it with the materials.

So it will work on sheet metal, but it also can be worked with on other types of materials that you might be needing on a job site. So it'll fit and work well if you're trying to dry fasteners that need to be drilled and tapped into plywood comp board, drywall insulation laminates or laminates or other things that need to be affixed or fastened to metal framing. So those are very nice features and they also are optimally used with those black stemmed C-Rex original drivers. Our product manager calls those the OG or the original C-Rex drivers.

So we really try and promote that as what we would call or promote as the ultimate fastening system to have a box or a tub of zip-ins and bit tips and to be able to use that with the black stem. And then just to make sure, it's kind of hard to see in the slide, but if you look at the upper left hand picture, you see those two dots and that's a differentiating feature to know that the fastener that you have is the two dots from Malco. So you see that and when the dots go in and they lock up into place, that's how you know that the fastener has done its job and the two dots are definitely self-identifying that is a Malco fastener when you see that on the job.

Karen Edwards: Oh, that's cool. I like that you have that because it's secure.

Rebecca Talbot: Yes. We will often also put that on our fastener advertising. Look for the dots.

Karen Edwards: Look for the dots. I like it. I'm curious in the evolution of, because you mentioned the OG, so that means that this tool has evolved a little bit.

Rebecca Talbot: Yes. Which is why on that previous slide and the one that's coming up later in this conversation is offering more of a selection guide, so a self-service, kind of choose the tool that you're looking for depending upon the type of fastener you're looking to work with, which is going to vary from job to job, whether it be, like I mentioned, MRO, if it's more building construction, is it more roofing or are you doing a really large install that you would need to have a variety of different types of fasteners or a variety of different types of drivers of varying lengths and varying socket sizes.

Karen Edwards: Okay, so let's talk about how you select the right tool and the different kinds that there are. There are a lot.

Rebecca Talbot: Yes. You'll see we do have the black driver shaft of the original C-Rex. Then we released a few years ago something called the building construction C-Rex, which is identified by the silver driver shaft color. And then we have our standard hex drivers and then we have a line that's called go blue, which is not cleanable reversible, but it is a spring-loaded magnet. So it does self-adjust to the head height of the fastener that you're looking to use. So the C-Rexes, as I mentioned, those are more of our ultimate fastening systems. So the fasteners you're looking to use or pair with that, they're HVAC fasteners. And then if you're looking to use a Malco fastener for your job site or your job, you are wanting to use that with a zip-in or bit tip. It does work, but not as well. Right? This is about optimum performance, the right tool for the job.

It will work, but you see it's a good application on higher head fasteners like pole barns or painted or unpainted fasteners. And then the impact, the lag screws, timber screws, concrete screws, as long as that screw head height is 0.10 inches, that black C-Rex driver is going to be a great pair for those fasteners on the job. When the screw head height has a variance of more than 10.10 inches, it's going to be a good application. But if you're really looking to use the tool optimally with the magnet, that is the one that you're going to want to make sure that you're choosing the building construction for as you move to the next column on the right. So that silver driver shaft, C-Rex building construction is going to work well on an HVAC metal fastener. It's going to work well with the zip in or bit tip, but it works the best optimally with those higher head fasteners as well as the higher head heavier impact application fasteners.

The standard hex drivers standard magnet depth, they work across all types of fasteners as well, but you see there's only two checks versus one check. So there's definitely better selections that you can use when you're shopping for a Malco driver to look at having either the original C-Rex, which is black or the building construction and then the gold blue, although it's not cleanable reversible, it's really applicable for all fasteners and all head heights.

There's a really good application on the sheet metal HVAC fasteners as well as the [inaudible 00:20:05] and bit tips that are Malco's fasteners, the high head fasteners and then the heavy impact, especially with that spring-loaded magnet for heavy installs or very large installs. The Go blue line is definitely one that gives a good overview of being able to use it on all types of fasteners. And what I will also call out as well is you'll see none of these boxes have zero check marks, so all of them can be used. It's just again, if the conversation around today is around the right tool for the job with the optimal performance on the working end of the tool, this is a really good overview of how all of our drivers fit in with the fasteners that you may need to be using depending upon the job site.

Karen Edwards: Yeah, this is a great, great guide to have. If somebody wants to access this, I see there's a QR code on the screen, they could take out their phone and scan that QR code and that will guide them to this guide.

Rebecca Talbot: Yes.

Karen Edwards: Excellent. And one thing I want to mention about your tools is these are designed to go on any drill, so it's not like they're going to fit if you've got your favorite drill that you like to use, you don't have to give that up. These are going to work.

Rebecca Talbot: Yes, they're drill for any drill and they are impact rated as well.

Karen Edwards: Excellent.

Rebecca Talbot: Or your drill or your impact.

Karen Edwards: And I would like to just have you share a little bit about the evolution when you just started with the OG and then you got the heavier grade with a deeper magnet, how does your team figure out what's needed and what needs to come next and what needs to be developed?

Rebecca Talbot: A lot of it comes from field feedback. So individuals who might be listening to this conversation right now and giving us feedback around the types of fasteners they're using, the popularity of new technologies with fasteners or fastener types and really know serving the HVAC end user trade pro as well as the roofing construction, building construction exteriors. So it was really just an evolution around how far our reach was and where our tools were ending up and in the types of contractors, toolkits, tool belts, service vehicles and the types of jobs they were working on. We are not talking today, but we have had previous recordings that I'm sure are available on Roofer's Coffee Shop or Metal Coffee Shop where we talk about the evolution of some of our roofing tools, especially along the lines of the popularity of metal roofing really growing in residential as well as commercial and commercial applications. So we're really just trying to meet our end users where they're at and develop tools that will solve pain points for them depending upon how the industry itself is evolving.

Karen Edwards: Yeah, yeah. There's so much happening and changing. And like you mentioned yourself, the growing popularity of metal. So it's really important that contractors, one, have the right tools, but that the manufacturers and suppliers like yourself got their finger on that pulse, so that's really important. Okay. Now, this is new this year, right? Let's talk a little bit about what the seven-in-one C-Rex flip is.

Rebecca Talbot: So this is a new service tool that utilizes that original C-Rex technology. So it's the magnet, all of those sockets that you see stacked in that image. So the quarter five sixteenths, the 1130 seconds and three eighths and the seven sixteenths and the one half. What's really nice about our line of seven in one or multi tool is that we do have an integrated driver as well. It comes in three different skews, three different versions. You have your Phillips, your number two Robertson and then your T-twenty five. These are all rated for impact. These are all ready for drill. And then you can also use it if you have any of our ratcheting handles, our

Connects three handle, this fits right into that ratcheting handle as well. So you have a few different ways that you can use these on the job. The really nice thing too, we are confident in the ability to be able to control the fastener as you're driving it.

We did a lot of testing with these tools so there's less slipping, there's less tip out. And then there's also a really great feature around how we engineer the socket and the inside of those sockets itself, excuse me, how we engineer the shaft, the driver's shaft and the sockets to make sure that when you stack these back on that the socket storage retention is very high as you can imagine, taking these off, putting them on, eventually they will wear know really out the gate. You want to make sure that your socket retention is very good on these tools because the last thing you need is to go out and purchase a brand new tool and then have all of these sockets just start falling off in your pocket, in your tool belt on the job site. You rest it, you pick it up and you don't want these things to be falling off and landing in the grass or into a rock bed where you can't find them.

Karen Edwards: I'm sure you have to do so much testing and field testing and just to make sure what goes into that before you're like, "Okay," it gets our stamp of approval.

Rebecca Talbot: Yes, yes. We definitely, we tested these with all the different ways of application. So from the drill to the impact to the ratcheting handle, we did a lot of testing around just driving, driving the fasteners into the materials as well as how we were torquing the drill and when we would experience slipping or tip out as well as it sounds silly, but whether or not we were just taking that driver and just shaking it really hard, hitting it with another tool, throwing it onto the ground just to make sure that those sockets, when they're on that driver's shaft, they are securely stored.

Karen Edwards: Okay. Let's move on to talk about incorporating tools into your business and let's look at what's new from Malco.

Rebecca Talbot: Yes, absolutely. So the few newest things that we have outside of that seven and one is new cocking guns to our lineups. So we have two new caulking guns. They round out the portfolio of Malco's caulking guns, and the one specifically to call out is it is the sausage gun. So that's really nice because if you are on a job that you require a lot of caulk for being able to very discreetly and more environmentally sound, throw away those packs of caulk, it's very, very convenient. We also sell replaceable nozzle tips as well, and both of them have been tested for ergonomics and cold colder weather temperatures to make sure that they perform well when it starts to get cold outside.

Karen Edwards: That's important, especially as we're filming this right now or hosting this webinar and the season's changing, it's starting to get a little bit colder and it gets a little bit harder to apply. So that's good to see that you took that into consideration.

Rebecca Talbot: Yes, absolutely. We're excited about those. Again, that is more about rounding out the portfolio of the offerings that we have for our caulk gun lineup and then we also launching later this month and we'll be available in your wholesale distributors and online and eventually at retail will be the newest AV snips. So we have three inch AV snips, so they're slightly longer cuts. So we have the straight, the right and the left and they are very similar in fit form and function to the other AV snip options that it's kind of hard to see at the very bottom, but that's rounding out the portfolio of the AV snips that we offer for sheet metal applications.

Karen Edwards: And these are available right now.

Rebecca Talbot: The caulking guns are available right now and the AV snips, if you were to reach out to me in the beginning of November, those will be available in November.

Karen Edwards: Okay, nice.

Rebecca Talbot: So you're kind of getting a little bit of a tease preview on the VB line.

Karen Edwards: Yes, you're getting the inside scoop before everybody else. So let's talk about next steps, and you mentioned earlier, but I kind of want to recap of where to purchase and how to get started and then we'll talk about some of the cool things that Malco is doing outside of making tools.

Rebecca Talbot: So as I mentioned, we sell across a variety of different sales channels. So if you visit the Malco website, we do have a distributor locator where you're able to punch in your zip code and it will pull up the list of distributors that are local to you. So that would be wholesale distribution. So just a high level, that's your Johnstones, Ari, Michael Baker, Watsco, all of those wholesale distributors as well as more specialty distributors. Our tools are found at ACME tools, they're found at Do IT best hardware. So we do have our tools in those more specialty distributors as well.

Then when you're on the product pages, there is the option to hit the Buy now button as well and that Buy Now button is going to take you where you can go and purchase it immediately online where we have inventory. And so that's the Malco store that's on Amazon and that's also available and you're going to see results for other wholesale distributors who also sell online and that option to buy online, pick up in store or buy online and have it shipped directly to your home or your business is located through the Buy Now button on the product pages.

Karen Edwards: Excellent. And I imagine we're all used to buying online, so that's extremely convenient. And I imagine that you guys have resources and videos and information on your website if anybody does have questions, if they get the tool and they're like, I think this is what I'm supposed to do, but I'm not really sure, what does that look like from Malco's end?

Rebecca Talbot: Absolutely. We provide a lot of different product pictures. We do have a learning and product training manager. We have a customer service support staff who is very well versed. Many of them have worked for Malco for several decades that are able to readily answer questions that are coming in from the field or questions that might be coming in from distributors. And it's not uncommon with the way that way Malco does business. If you were to call in, you might be put through to me, you might talk to me about a problem that you're having in the field. We might put you in connection directly with the engineer who worked on any given project. We're very, very responsive to field feedback and customer care when it comes to how Malco does business and how we relate to our distributors and to our end users.

Karen Edwards: It sounds like a great culture too, if you say many people have been there for decades, that's a long time. So it says a lot about a company, I think when you have that level of longevity in your team. So congrats. Okay, this is some fun stuff here. You guys are doing some cool things for future contractors and the future of our industry. Can you talk about the head of the class program?

Rebecca Talbot: Yes. So we have had a head of the class program, and that's really a program geared to up-and-coming Trade Pros that goes through educators at the technical schools. And this allows these educators to recognize not only their entire class but outstanding students in their class. So the head of the class program is available to any educator. It is a no charge program, and it's really Malco's way of supporting the trades as a whole and also supporting educators and technical schools that are focusing in on developing the next generation of talent for the trades.

Karen Edwards: And this is where a student is given tools, right?

Rebecca Talbot: Yes. So everyone in the class definitely gets some Malco swag, whether it be a tumbler or a hat, a catalog. They get a quarter two-inch driver, and then the students that are highlighted are sent to choice of getting a HVAC core tools backpack or tool bag that comes fully stocked with all the things that we think that a new HVAC Trade Pro or new building construction Trade Pro might find that they need on the job.

Karen Edwards: That's fantastic. And I know you guys definitely are supporting the future for our industries. I've seen you at SkillsUSA, which is the National Trades Competition with a booth each year, so that's really impressive. Now let's move on and talk about what the Counterperson of the Year and Trade Pro of the Year are.

Rebecca Talbot: Yes. So we are actually just about to release the winner of the Counterperson of the Year. So the Counterperson of the Year award is nominated either by the Counterperson themselves or somebody who works with them or a family member. And it's really intended to elevate the talent that our wholesale distributors and our specialty distributors have that are working behind the counter. How are they serving their trade pro end users? How are they serving their community? How are they talking about Malco? How are they promoting Malco's new products as well as their education level around, not education level, but more their aptitude towards the Malco portfolio of tools. So we really, really wanted to have this type of program. It's our newest program, but really wanted to be able to elevate the people who are working every day behind the counter to serve all of the people who are going into those wholesale distributors and needing support and guidance on what to buy as well as how they are supporting their community and just the industry in general.

Karen Edwards: That's fantastic. And then finally, trade Pro.

Rebecca Talbot: Well, that one is very near and dear to Malco's Heart. So we will be kicking off our Trade Pro of the year in the beginning of 2025, but what's really nice about that is we want to recognize people that are in their field. We want to have them either nominate themselves, family members, nominate colleagues, nominate the types of nominations that are coming through are coming from a variety of different individuals that are associated with the nominees, but really it's about making sure that we talk about and keep these trade pros top of mind when we are thinking about the building construction industry in general. And so those trade pros, the year they're recognized or recognized on Malco's site, they receive tool swag, they receive gift cards and just the recognition for the work that they're doing every day to support your being the homeowners or the residential owners as well as how we are trying to just continually think about how we're promoting and elevating the trades.

Karen Edwards: I love that. And at Roofers Coffee Shop and Metal Coffee Shop, we're all about elevating the industry, elevating our trades, pro trade pros and that just aligns perfectly with that. So that's exciting. And I'm sure there's information on your website about all three of these programs, right?

Rebecca Talbot: Yes, and if you want to sign up to receive our newsletter, that would be great. You can do that on the MalcoTools.com website and then you'll be able to see the information come through via newsletter around our programs, around new products, around promotions and anything else that's related to Malco. As you guys are out in the field, if there's tech tips, new video links really to be able to get the latest and greatest from us, I do encourage that you sign up on the newsletter or if you're following us on any socials. Our social channels, we have over 900,000 people following us across all of our different social channels. We do have a high level of eyes. We have a lot of good brand equity and reception to things that we're posting on social, whether it be about new products, programs, community efforts that Malco does. We're heavily involved in our community where we live and have our headquarters in Minnesota, but we do have a very high level of followers. I mean, I would say even an enviable amount of followers.

Karen Edwards: I was like across all of our social channel. I know we have a lot of followers across our platform, so we don't have 900,000 Now you've given me a new goal.

Rebecca Talbot: Yes.

Karen Edwards: Oh, that's awesome. So okay. We've seen a lot of really cool stuff, but we've just seen pictures today and I always like to say there's nothing better than being able to hold it, touch it, feel it, try it and you guys are going to be exhibiting at some upcoming shows. So tell us about these.

Rebecca Talbot: Yes, so we'll be at A.H.R, which is being hosted this year in Orlando, Florida. So we're at Booth A-twenty-one. You're going to be able to see new products demoed. You'll be able to see touch feel the new seven in one, Flip-Bit series, as well as the cocking guns, the A-V Snips and then some classic favorites that people really enjoy seeing, demoed the Turbo Crimper, which is a crowd favorite, as well as demos of our classic snips. We have our Max Line, which is very, very popular, so the Max 2006 snip as well. And just in general, people really enjoy my experience traveling with Malco is people when they are a Malco super fan, they really love coming to our booth. And we have not only our marketing group is there, but our sales team as well as customer services featured. So we do bring quite a few people to have interaction with all of you and be able to meet with customers, demo product, talk through product, talk about programs and really just get us ourselves out there and have an opportunity to do the meet and greet and talk about all things.

Karen Edwards: And when is the AHR show? You mentioned it's in AHR

Rebecca Talbot: Show is in January, so the beginning of January?

Karen Edwards: Yes. Okay. And the next one, METALCON, that's coming up here in just a couple of weeks.

Rebecca Talbot: Yes. So we will be at METALCON, and that is in Atlanta, Georgia. So we're Booth 7 0 7 and we will have marketing there. Product management will be there, and METALCON is a great opportunity as well as IRE that's coming up in 25 where you can see more of our roofing tools being demoed. Again, I'll reference previous podcasts and webinars that you can watch on demand on Roofer's coffee shop or Metal Coffee Shop, but Malco released a line of full metal bending solutions that's been very, very popular, but I really would say until you see it demoed, just like Karen mentioned, the look, feel, touch. I mean, these are some really impressive tools. So we'll have all of those tools available to look at to do the tactile touch, feel and watch demoed at METALCON and at IRE, which are more of a building exterior and roofing metal show.

Karen Edwards: Yeah. Yeah. They're going to be here before you know it, so that's awesome. I did not see any questions come in while we were chatting, but I'm going to just double check my chat messages here and I think we

Rebecca Talbot: Are, yeah, I think too, I didn't put it on there because I don't have the full broadcast schedule yet, but Malco this year we did sponsor for those of you who may or may not know if you are in the HVAC or plumbing or electrical fields or work for companies that have those core competencies in your business structure, we did sponsor the Elite Trade Pros competition. So that is a competition that has several rounds of qualifying, and it all leads up to a big live contest, which is taped and then broadcast on CBS Sports with these next level apprentices and trade pros, not only getting some really good airtime, but also competing for prizes worth up to $20,000 for basically just doing what they do best, which is reading the challenge and doing the job in a given time period so that actually tune in or look for your broadcast schedule on CBS Sports.

But Malco is a featured sponsor on there. We also did have several of our tools, the C-Rex line, all of our zip-ins and Bit Tips, so our entire fastener line, our snips, our seamers, our turbo shears, those were all on the competitor carts. So it was really, really exciting for us to be at that competition. We've been under embargo for the last few weeks, so I'm really happy to be able to talk about it. But just check out your CBS Sports and they will play it, and then they'll continue to replay it. But it's a great contest and I would encourage any of you, if you work in any of those disciplines, plumbing, auto, electrical or HVAC to check out the Elite Trade Pro website, it is a competition that's open to anyone and any one of you could be getting through those rounds of qualifications, getting a free trip for your family to go to somewhere like West Palm Beach or down to Miami Beach competing in this contest and having the opportunity to win some really great cash.

Karen Edwards: Wow, that's exciting. Oh, I'm so glad you were able to talk about that now. We definitely will check that out and try to watch it. I'm sure, like you said, there'll be showing it on demand as well. So-

Rebecca Talbot: Yes.

Karen Edwards: ... fun stuff. All right. Well, I just want to say thank you to everyone for watching this webinar. We hope it was educational and that you took some nuggets away and that you come by and visit Malco Tools if you are going to any of those shows. And as I mentioned at the beginning, this is going to be available on Metal Coffee Shop within one to two days, so you can watch it on demand or share it and be sure to check out Malco Tools directory. They have a directory on both Roofers Coffee Shop and Metal Coffee Shop. It has a lot of the information that we talked about today as well as how to get in touch with them. And be sure to follow us on social media because I need more followers. I got to catch up to Rebecca. We're on all your favorite platforms, including TikTok, so we don't want you to miss a thing. And we hope to see you on a future episode of Metal Talk. Thanks for coming. Thanks for Rebecca.

Rebecca Talbot: Thank you, Karen. Thanks everyone.

Outro: Bye-bye.