There will be a price increase from 1 Jan 2019. I will be adding details to the website shortly. As in previous years, anyone wanting to pay a deposit by 12/31 for an order not yet finalised can do that and be protected against the price increases for the amount of that deposit.
The increases will be a flat 3c per chip across everything from solids to Level 5, and an increase in the increments above Level 5 of 1c to 26c. There will be no increases to premiums for colors, shaped inlays or hotstamping costs.
The increase at the start of 2018 amounted to an average of 2%, the 2019 increase will average 2.3%, both still below the current level of inflation. Our own costs have been affected as follows:
Increases in the ME state minimum wage of 10% both this year and next. (although our employees are above that level, it has some knock on effect).
Renewal of the factory lease for a further 5 years (our first 5 year period was at a somewhat discounted rate).
Inevitable price rises in some raw materials and energy costs in line with inflation.
So our costs are actually rising by around 5% a year, and the only thing that has kept the price increases down is that we have become marginally more efficient in production as time has gone on. However we can only sustain that if we have sufficient orders on the books at any one time, enabling us to continue to make clay parts well ahead of mold installations.
So your continued orders are very much necessary!
The increases will be a flat 3c per chip across everything from solids to Level 5, and an increase in the increments above Level 5 of 1c to 26c. There will be no increases to premiums for colors, shaped inlays or hotstamping costs.
The increase at the start of 2018 amounted to an average of 2%, the 2019 increase will average 2.3%, both still below the current level of inflation. Our own costs have been affected as follows:
Increases in the ME state minimum wage of 10% both this year and next. (although our employees are above that level, it has some knock on effect).
Renewal of the factory lease for a further 5 years (our first 5 year period was at a somewhat discounted rate).
Inevitable price rises in some raw materials and energy costs in line with inflation.
So our costs are actually rising by around 5% a year, and the only thing that has kept the price increases down is that we have become marginally more efficient in production as time has gone on. However we can only sustain that if we have sufficient orders on the books at any one time, enabling us to continue to make clay parts well ahead of mold installations.
So your continued orders are very much necessary!