Tennant Company Case Analysis

Executive Summary

Tennant Company was founded in 1870 by George H. Tennant and initially produced wood products and flooring solutions. Tennant now produces floor-cleaning equipment and technologies, and prides itself on “creating a cleaner, safer, healthier world.” Tennant differentiates themselves from competitors by offering cleaner, safer and healthier products to their customers as well as through direct customer interaction. The Company drew popularity in the 1940s as a cleaning company that offered its services to the defense forces of nations especially those involved in war.

The Tennant brand is strong and so is its positioning within the market. They currently hold approximately fifteen percent of the global market share, with sales growing faster than many of their competitors. Tennant’s focus was rare as they chose to deliver a sustainable value to their customers without compromising on price or performance. This strength is not imitable with new companies as it something that is built over time although many existing companies have built the same brand strength with their products. This strength has proved to be a sustainable competitive advantage for Tennant. They have exploited this strength and achieved organization.

External Assessment

This industry is most affected by growing and shifting consumer expectations demand. This demand is influenced politically (by emerging policy and regulation product standards) and societally, meaning consumers are wanting more than functionality out of their cleaning products, such as health and environmentally conscious factors. Because of this identified demand, the industry has experienced substantial growth. With growth comes opportunity, and this is reflected by the current state of intense competition in the industry.

Opportunities

The primary identified opportunity of the industry is that of providing chemical-free cleaning product alternatives as supplements to their already established...