Big Box Retailers and Clean Energy Products

“The good news is, you got an order from Costco,” my good friend John Tyson says, explaining the discussions he has with his clients.  “The bad news is, you got an order from Costco.”  He then elucidates, laying out the great many things that could qualify as “bad news” about receiving an order for millions of dollars worth of whatever it is the client happens to be selling: brutal negotiations, ridiculous delivery schedules, oppressive logistics, and, at the end of it all, the threat that, if you’re one iota off in any way, you’ll never get another chance. 

To be honest, I hadn’t thought too much about John’s big box retail consulting and finance company, Amerivon, in quite a while until just the other day.  I received an out-of-the-blue phone call from an old high school friend who wants my participation in his organization that will be producing extremely high-tech LED-based lighting products for both business and consumer markets.  One of the possible channels, it seems to me, is places like Costco, Home Depot, Walmart, etc. 

So I’m coming back up to speed on all the issues associated with these outlets, which are legendary for their strength in manipulating and ultimately crushing vendors.  I want to be able to tell my school chum, “Here’s the good news …. and, by the way, there is no bad news.”