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Long-term investment – but how?
Many questions arose when Jyderup Gymnastics Association decided to invest in new equipment.
We had worked purposefully with boys' gymnastics for several years, but many of the gymnasts had grown so much that the equipment we owned was insufficient to sustain the boys' development. We managed to collect DKK 130,000 and wanted to be sure of investing the money in the best possible way. But how?
Maintaining interest
We were aware that it was necessary to invest in new equipment if we wanted to maintain the boys' interest in gymnastics. But it had been many years since the association had last bought equipment and we were unsure as to which equipment would be the best investment for us. We ordered catalogues from various suppliers and discussed the various possibilities with our instructors to find the best solution. It did not take long to decide which equipment best suited our needs and we then contacted a couple of suppliers for quotes.
We knew too little
When we contacted PE-Redskaber, they offered to visit us to see the equipment we presently had and to ensure that we invested our funds in the best possible way, in both the short and long term. We accepted the offer, thinking that a second opinion could do no harm even though we were convinced that we had already made the right choice.
When the consultant from PE-Redskaber visited us, the first thing that impressed us was the interest he showed in our existing equipment and how we used it. He then asked which ages we catered for and the ambitions we had for the various teams. After these thorough discussions, he made a series of proposals on how we could achieve what we wanted to by combining our existing equipment with new additions.
We thus experienced a consultant who was much more advisor than salesman. And he was not afraid to make proposals that were cheaper than the solutions we had first thought of. It quickly became obvious that we had not examined all the possibilities simply by leafing through product catalogues. We would actually have made some poor investments as several of our choices benefited just a single team rather than the association as a whole.
No coincidence
That first meeting was the start of a partnership with PE-Redskaber that we have been extremely pleased with over the years. We have found an equipment supplier that is more interested in meeting our needs than selling as much as possible. They know what we already have and are therefore more able to advise us on making sound investments.
And we are also delighted with the very high quality of the equipment, where the needs of gymnasts and instructors alike have been taken into account. The products are extremely practical and safe, they are easy to handle, and they all match each other perfectly. They have been produced with much thought and attention to detail.
Søren Bøtker Pedersen, Chairman of Jyderup Gymnastics Association.
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