Taiwan's Auto-repair Tool Makers Build Reputation with Diverse Range of High-end Products

Manufacturers beat the competition with reliable quality, outstanding service

Taiwan's hand-tool makers are doing very well today despite the threat from competitors in mainland China and other countries with low manufacturing costs, thanks to the advanced technology they have accumulated over the decades and the comprehensive supply chain available to them in central Taiwan. The island's makers of auto-repair tools, which are part of the hand-tool industry, are making use of these advantages to turn out a variety of high-end products.

Taiwanese manufacturers are working constantly to sharpen their competitive edge by investing in research and development, and by offering their buyers a high quality-to-price ratio.

Unique Focus on High Quality
With more than two decades of experience in manufacturing auto repair and maintenance tools and related accessories, Unique Specialty Tool Corp., headquartered in Changhua, central Taiwan, has established a significant presence in the global market with its capability to fulfill a variety of diverse specifications.

The company's product range comprehends auto repair tools, radiator pressure tester and vacuum-type cooling system kits, air-powered brake caliper wind back tool sets, digital torque wrenches, electronic torque adaptors, timing tool sets, engine timing tool sets, heavy duty diesel compression test sets, petrol injection pressure test sets, and pullers. The products are supplied mostly on an OEM/ODM (original equipment/design manufacturing) basis, but the manufacturer also welcomes orders for customized products.

One of the Unique's best sellers is its timing tool series. “The high technological threshold for manufacturing timing tools allows few competitors into the sector,” says Joanne Lin, the company's sales manager. “We never compromise on improving product quality, and only market products after accumulating sufficient manufacturing know-how. All of the equipment in the timing tool set is made of high-standard materials with sophisticated surface treatment to ensure accurate cutting precision.”

Another of the company's high-profile products is the UN07116 cooling system tester set, which can be widely applied to general vehicles, high-end vehicles, and trucks. It uses three kinds of materials--aluminum alloy, plastic steel, and iron-- in its cooling system adaptors.

After years of development and testing, the firm recently released its “Unique Screwmate Driver Set” with an exclusive magnetic-head screwdriver that makes it easy to lock and unlock screws. This innovation has been patented in various countries.

In the face of the low-cost challenge from mainland Chinese manufacturers, Unique has adopted a strategy of focusing on high-quality products to differentiate itself from its Chinese rivals in target markets. “Low-priced products from mainland China may attract customers' attention initially,” Lin comments, “but most of them soon notice the significant difference between products made in Taiwan and those from China, especially in the materials used.”

Years Way Sharpens Competitiveness with a Comprehensive Product Range
Years Way International Co. started out as a supplier of hardware and hand tools when it was first established in Taichung, central Taiwan in 1975. Today the company has become one of the island's leading manufacturers and exporters of air tools, air spray guns, and auto repair tools, selling about half of its products under its own “YEARSWAY” and the other half on an OEM/ODM basis.

Over the past decade the company built a new production line for auto tools, and looks forward to establishing solid cooperation with customers around the world. “We started to tap the auto repair tool market with our comprehensive line of air tools,” says S.Y. Wang, the firm's general manager. “As competitors from mainland China are able to cut production costs through mass production, we aim to focus on product diversity rather than quantity and adapt to market trends flexibly, which we can do thanks to the industrial cluster advantage in Taichung.”

The firm's newly-released “Air Angle Head Impact Wrench” provides a hammer effect to enhance operating safety and convenience. It has a small size that makes it particularly suitable for operations in small spaces, including the maintenance of automotive engines and chassis.

Years Way uses a barcode system that enables it to trace sales and maintenance records back to 1998, improving inventory management and customer service. Wang reports that Years Way has a new version of trading management software under development, which when finished will enhance the firm's sales, product control, trading, inventory, and human resource management. Nearly all Years Way products carry CE declaration and meet European, U.S., and Asian standards. “We guarantee that all of our products pass strict quality control tests before they are shipped.” Wang notes.

The firm launched its “YEARSWAY” brand in 1993 in the pursuit of long-term benefit, and has now started to enjoy the results. “In 2012,” Wang explains, “markets in South. Korea, Egypt, and Russia accounted for our highest revenue growth, and those are all countries which we targeted for brand promotion. In fact, Taiwan's manufacturing capability has been highly recognized worldwide; and to persuade global customers to use our products, we aim to keep focusing on R&D and adapting to customer responses quickly, while constantly improving our brand marketing and building up mutually beneficial relationships with trading agents.”

Peaceful Eyes R&D for Long-term Payoff
Established in 1983, Peaceful Thriving Enterprise Co. supplies a wide range of high-voltage testers, automotive circuit testers, and electronic detectors, all of which are compliant with GS, CE, UL, CUL, and RoHS standards and well-received in Europe and the U.S.

In 1999 the company set up a subsidiary in mainland China to handle everything from circuit, structure, and mold design to mold manufacturing, plastic injection, and mass production. Peaceful's marketing development manager, Mark Chien, says that the establishment of the subsidiary has helped his company boost production efficiency for customized orders and shorten the time of product development so that it can respond rapidly to market trends.

Abundant experience in making high-voltage (higher than 50 volts) testers has helped Peaceful gain a technological advantage in turning out automotive circuit testers, which are generally rated 50 volts or under. Continuous R&D input in the integration of software (including program manipulation) and hardware (including circuit design), has helped Peaceful establish an unbeatable lead over competitors in the industry.

“Every year,” Chien notes, “we spend nearly 5% of our total expenditure on the development of product functionality. The accumulation of R&D also assists us in familiarizing ourselves easily with market trends.” He goes on to say that Peaceful, which is ISO9001:2008-certified, has never faltered in its effort to strengthen product quality and manufacturing technology in the pursuit of long-term payoff.

The accumulation of experience in making high-voltage testers helps the company not only to develop auto circuit testers rapidly but also to control quality strictly. The hand-tool industrial cluster central Taiwan, where the company operates, also helps it maintain high quality by using standardized, locally-made components.

Looking to the future, Peaceful remains optimistic. “We expect the international market for auto electronic devices to keep growing due to the high technological requirements of the auto repair industry,” Chien states. “In addition, with increasing demand for electric vehicles in response to the trend toward energy conservation, high-voltage testers are likely to be more widely applied in the auto repair industry in the future, giving a further boost to the market.”

Sepro Becomes a Comprehensive Service Provider
Founded in 1993 in the southern Taiwan city of Tainan, Sepro Tools Co. is now one of the island's most professional suppliers of hand tools, impact tools, and auto repair tools. Ever since its inception the firm has concentrated on the development of unique technologies to boost the quality of products which are marketed under its own “SENECA” brand. It turns out a variety of high-end products that sell steadily in industrialized markets such as Germany, France, and the U.K. Apart from making own-brand products, the firm also accepts OEM/ODM orders.

The company attributes its success largely to the constant provision of the latest ideas and products to its customers. General Manager Lyndon Lin notes that with a seasoned R&D team continuously working to upgrade manufacturing technology, Sepro has expanded its business to encompass a wide variety of products that meet the differing needs of its customers, including sockets, impact sockets, air impact wrenches, torque wrenches, pliers, gear wrenches, screwdrivers, bits, insulated accessories, auto repair tools, pullers, tool bags, and roll cabinets.

“To meet the rapidly changing needs of the market,” Lin comments, “we currently focus on small-batch, large-variety production. We have transformed ourselves from a manufacturer into a comprehensive provider of hand-tool solutions.” Another core strength lies in Sepro's advanced automated warehousing equipment and inventory management, which not only improves operating efficiency but also helps achieve flexible production and prompt delivery.

The company's reputation in the international market is underpinned not only by product diversity but also by an unwavering commitment to stable product quality. Its carefully formulated marketing plans include participation in numerous international exhibitions and promotions, as well as rapid response to market changes.

For the future, Sepro's goal is to offer extensive solutions that help customers fully solve their problems. “We would like customers to procure integrated services instead of single products,” Lin says. The company's high-end products are already well-received in Western Europe, and plans are now under way to tap markets in mainland China and Southeast Asia.