Giving Groomers an Edge

Over the past 25 years, Double K Industries has grown up with the grooming industry. When incorporated in Los Angeles in 1984, the fledgling company focused solely on manufacturing and marketing its Power Clipper cable drive clipper system, various models of which it sold into the grooming, veterinary and the equine markets.  However, it wasn’t long before Double K started to significantly expand its product selection. First the company added its ChallengeAir grooming dryers, and then a line of grooming shampoos.

Today, the company continues to focus primarily on the pet grooming industry, and its ChallengeAir dryers and Groomer's Edge shampoos have become mainstays for professional groomers in 35 countries across the world. With each new product introduction, Double K strives to offer items that provide the greatest intrinsic value for the purchase price.

“This expresses itself in shampoo products by having the most effective product in its category (best cleaning, rinse ability etc.), along with a cost per application that is lower than competitors’ products,”   says company president Greg Crisp. “The same principle applies to equipment, wherein a dryer should safely dry an animal faster than our competitors’ products while simultaneously costing less over its product life.”

Crisp points out that the issue of product effectiveness is critical for groomers, noting that a stand or forced air dryer that is 10 percent less effective than another could end up costing a shop owner many times its original price in labor over the life of the product.

Most recently, Double K has introduced several new shampoo products including Ultimate, “a spectacular general-purpose shampoo,” as well as a completely reformulated Hypo Plus shampoo and a completely reformulated Refurbish conditioner. In coming months, groomers can expect to see Double K continue down its path of innovation as it introduces a new series of forced-air dryers.  “These products will be quieter, more effective, more versatile and serviceable than anything currently on the market,” says Crisp.

As Double K has increased the depth and breadth of its product assortment, the company has also thoroughly modernized the way in which those offerings are conceived and produced. “Products historically designed on the drawing board are created using complex computer aided design (CAD) software, with prototypes produced immediately on-site and designs refined before investing in expensive production tooling,” says Crisp. “And computers, of course, guide all aspects of business and production.”

However, even while Double K has invested heavily in high-tech equipment to make its operations as efficient as possible, the asset in which the company places the most importance is its family of employees, Crisp says. “Numerous employees have been here for more than 20 years and are looking forward to the next 20.”

In addition to being committed to leading the industry with its world-class products, Double K strives to outdo its competitors with the high level of support it provides to its groomer customers. The company has trained and authorized service representatives around the country to assist groomers who need help with products in or out of warranty, and is always quick to make resources like free samples available to groomers.

To Crisp, Double K’s reasons for supporting groomers are pretty simple.  “We serve groomers through enlightened self-interest, recognizing that groomers are the source of our success and wellbeing,” he says.