SKF is starting a new initiative to get the word out to technicians that premium products are the way to go.

With its new Web site, www.vsm.skf.com, the company is using PDFs and other tools to explain the quality of its products.

“You can supply good, better, best in some category, but we found that the gap between premium OE grade and what the other are selling is great,” Mike McGrath, president VSM North America, says.

With Web sites like this one, technicians will be able to see the information SKF is putting out there to show the differences between premium hub systems and others, mostly made in low-cost countries. They’ll be able to educate themselves, which is one thing SKF execs are really working toward. They want to show the techs that they need to be aware of how the products they’re putting on consumers’ cars are made. It affects those techs every day, as one bad part can ruin a reputation.

Don McEntee, vice president of marketing, says he has seen a lot of generic parts that can cause all sorts of issues on a vehicle. But with their message that they will produce only premium products, the chances of that happening is lowered.

Maybe this move is a good move. If more technicians are educated about the differences in products and how some are made better than others, then they will be able to explain the difference to consumers.

In turn, those consumers won’t be annoyed when they drive away, hearing the same noise or a new one, and blame the tech.