Maple to increase channel strength

Taking all efforts to make a big impact in the IT hardware business, Chennai-based Maple Information Technology Hardware, a recent entrant in the manufacturing business, is expanding its operations in a major way. The company is in the process of appointing 25 new distributors, adding 250 channel partners.

The company also plans to launch a complete range of cabinets and speakers in the next couple of weeks, besides going aggressive in channel promotion schemes, road shows and dealers meet. "All these would help us to achieve a four-fold increase in business and make Maple a leading brand in the market," said Anand Selvam, GM-Marketing, Selathaar Industry Pvt Ltd (promoters of Maple brand).

In Chennai, Maple has Genitek Instruments as its distribution partner and planning to add one more channel member to address this market effectively. "It will be done in the next few days," he said.

Presently, Maple has a wide range of keyboards, mouse, low-end speakers, joysticks and gamepads in its fold. While Maple is manufacturing only keyboards in the market, the other products are being brought in through an exclusive tie-up with A4Tech, a leading international brand.

The company has also launched a new promotional scheme-Mega Maal-A-Maal, starting from 1 September and closing by December end. "We expect over 500 channel partners to actively participate in this scheme and a select group will be taken to Thailand, on achieving the said target points," he quipped. This apart, the scheme carries also many exciting bumper prize and gifts. Mega Maal-A-Maal is a sequel to the company's first promotional scheme Maal-A-Maal, which had a good response among the channels. "In the new scheme, we allow channels to carry forward the points earned in the first scheme (unredeemed for any prizes) to this scheme and make use of it," said
Selvam.

"Presently, we have 50 distributors in 41 cities across India covering the entire market. In order to have a better reach, additional 25 distributors will be appointed before this year end," said Selvam. In South, the company is appointing distributors in places such as Bangalore, Hyderabad, Cochin, Trivandrum and Chennai. "Our main focus of expansion would be in South and North only, while in East and West distributors will be appointed only in some unrepresented areas," he added.

The company claims to have 750 channel partners regularly buying from them in India.

Maple will be launching a complete range of cabinets and speakers shortly. The cabinet model includes AT, ATX, Baby ATX and P4 cases. "We are expanding our speaker range also. The new launches will be majorly in high-end segment, 1200 to 1500 watts multimedia speakers. Thanks to the boom and latest developments in multimedia and animation field, and computer has become the one point for entertainment needs be it a movie, music or games," he said.

The company has recorded a turnover of Rs 14 crore in the last fiscal and targets a revenue of Rs 60 crore in the current fiscal.