I don’t delight in making enemies, but I find that a little opposition now and then does wonders for the soul, especially when you're treading into a well-guarded market.

Who have I upset this time?  You may have noticed my recent announcement about launching my own range of wrap tools in Australia. So, who the hell do I think I am?  I return the question.  But since I insist on subverting the market, at the very least, I owe it to you to explain why.

For years, I’ve been teaching wrap courses around Australia.  I’ve done my part for the industry, no doubt about it.  I’ve always kept my knowledge at home, out of respect for other trainers abroad, to the detriment of my own growth.  But as Australia has grown in influence on the world stage, some uncomfortable truths have begun to emerge about the products that fill our shops.

Why, in searching for suitable suppliers, did I discover that so many of the products we use are manufactured right here in our own backyard?  Why are so many of these brands owned by international brokerages and equity firms?  And why are we paying layers of markups and shipping fees just to get our hands on a plastic squeegee?  Please, be honest, am I crazy?

“John, do you think it’s possible that, maybe, making all possible allowances, not to put too fine a point on it, with all things considered, you might be… overreacting?”

Sure, maybe a little.  I’m an entertainer, after all.  But at best, this affair is simply an expression of the free market, and at worst, it’s Australians being taken advantage of by brokers who make money rather than earn it.  Maybe I’ve crossed the line.  Maybe we deserve better?  Who would disagree?  Just see who they work for.

Launching my own range of wrap tools was not just a pragmatic decision to acquire market share, it was a decision born out of respect.  Respect for the local craft, respect for our local economy, respect for local installers, and above all, respect for myself as a promoter.  This is not to imply that there aren’t genuine innovators who create useful products that we cannot, or shouldn’t, enjoy.  I would simply ask that we draw a distinction between genuine utility and brand.

Besides, with uncertainty brewing around the recent election result across the pond and the looming fear of supply disruptions, can you really blame some of us for being proactive?  Even though when discussing the election with my fellow countrymen, you’d forgive me for thinking that this country, girt by sea as it is, was the land of the free.

Will I make enemies?  Indubitably, my darlings.  But an idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all.  Could I have made more friends if I’d quietly accepted the status quo?  Perhaps, but being left on read just doesn’t suit me anymore. Nor does prioritizing my international loyalties above my local ones.  So, without ado, and with the gravitas that I and my looted wallet can muster, I present this new Australian range of tools for your consideration.

Imagine getting humbled by a ratty, double-jointed Perth boy with a squeegee. Have I become insufferable?   You started it.