Greetings,
JoJo introduced me to this thread, and I would like to share the information I have with this group regarding the Zio Ciro Nano, and its status in the US Market goes.
As a politician that has nothing to say, I will try to be brief…
Sometime last year Zio Ciro decided to explore the feasibility of introducing an entry level oven in various markets.
As the US importer, I had several conversations with the manufacturer in Italy regarding the characteristics I felt the oven had to have, based on the experience developed over the last several years.
To be a commercial success in the US the Nano had to be light enough to be shipped via express carrier, the standards of packaging had to meet the requirements set forth by the carriers, had to be compatible with the US propane tanks and regulators readily available and had to be priced as an entry level product.
When I introduced the Mini to the US market, I tried to use express carriers (FedEx, UPS) to deliver those models, and despite the weight was within the threshold for express shipment, the results were disappointing. Several units were damaged in transit, and the carriers refused to honor the damage claims citing the packaging standards. As a consequence, the Zio Ciro Mini is now shipped via common carrier and delivered with trucks fitted with a hydraulic lift gate. Those shipping requirements effect the shipping price quite significantly but are necessary to ensure the oven reaches its destination without damages.
When the Nano was discussed, I felt the refractory dome was going to expose the oven to shipping damages and limit the ability to use express carriers to deliver the ovens The alternative would remain common carrier, at the cost of $200 to $350.
Commercially, that is not a valid solution. While I know the refractory dome offers an advantage, I am not sure the advantage is worth paying twice as much as many competitors` products.
The original launch market for the Nano was Italy, and the burners are tuned for the Italian gas pressures and volumes; in order to ensure the performance of the oven in the US market, Zio Ciro would have to develop a connection that would allow for the use of standard regulators, not the ones we currently use on the larger ovens, since the cost of using ½ inch gas hose, brass adapters and high BTU regulators would prevent us hitting the target price.
In the upcoming months the manufacturer and I will discuss the possible solutions, and while I do hope to have the Nano available in the US for our customers soon, I will only do so if I was certain I was introducing an oven that I could sell, ship and support.
Anybody that has purchase an oven from us in the last few years has received their SC60, SC80 or SC100 in a heavy duty, 250 lbs. 1-inch-thick crates or custom-made crates; We have had to do that, at great cost both financially and of time, to ensure the integrity of the ovens while in transit.
While I can justify that on a larger oven, it would not be possible to spend that kind of resources on a smaller, entry level unit.
I hope this gives you a slightly better insight on where we are, I would be happy to answer any question you might have via this forum or directly.
Best,
Manuel
