How are you doing with work these days?

[marker4x4]

Hiall,


I'm wondering if everybody is experiencing this awful slowness in the manufacturing business? Man-o-man, is it ever frustrating..... when the aerospace went down (no pun intended), our customer base literally evaporated. I suppose, it's the same for all of you in the automotive industry?


I've been even thinking about using the MFG.com to find machining work, but the little bit of sanity leftin my head told me not to join that bottom_fedeers pool

Anyway, the point of my rant here is to see if there's any hope on the horizon - perhaps those of you smarter than me can see the light in the tunnel; if so, please share your wisdom and brighten my day.


Cheers,

 

[ToolDude]

our work in the mold making industry has been steady all year, But showing signs of slowing now. We still have work but alot of it is repair or rebuild work.


I agree with you about mfg.com Stay off there unless really desperate.

 

[indigo2]

I am curious as to why you advise against that particular site. I am not affiliated with it, and only recently ran across it. Could you provide some additional information, without being too nasty? I know of some companies that use it, and wouldn't call them bottom feeders...
Just curious, since there seems to be more to the story...

Thanks-
-tsl

 

[marker4x4]

...I know of some companies that use it, and wouldn't call them bottom feeders...

Are they buying or supplying over there? There's a number of large, national/globalbuyers posting theirRFQ's, but as a supplier you have to eat your shirt to be able to getpastbidders from certain countries,undercutting the prices to (or below)the level of poverty. Smells to my like a child labor.... just my .02

 

[Pro CNC]

We tried MFG and I know another shop that also did it. We are not the cheapest around but have won one job and make a couple of connections. We are going to cancel though because it just isn't worth the expense. If MFG costs $6000 per year and you are lucky enough to make a 10% margin (not likely), you need to win $60,000 worth of work just to break even. If you are light on work, the equation changes but you still need to win a lot of sales in order to make it justify.

The company that we know who also joined is a small and lean shop who has pretty low prices. He has quoted over 250 jobs very tight on MFG and not won a single one. When you get statistics of the winning price, it is dumbfounding sometimes. Companies are taking jobs for barely over the raw material costs.

If you have lots of free time to try to make personal relationships with the companies posting RFQ's then you might have a shot at winning customers and doing work offline from MFG. But the types of companies posting RFQs there are almost always looking for the best price. If you study the profiles of the buyers, there are relatively few who buy higher up in the price range. And even if they do - the total price range in question is probably lower than you would be comfortable being in. Hope that makes sense.

 

[marker4x4]

We tried MFG and ....

Ditto to that, well said.

 

[indigo2]

As expected, the forum provides excellent information, and quickly, too!
One person i talked with regarding this site mentioned that he saw more qualifications on the RFQ's lately. Specifically, bidders needed to be US based. Again, i am just relaying what I've heard, and am not passing any judgments.

I was a bit skeptical about the site, and the low ball nature of the projects looking for bidders. can't blame someone for wanting to minimize costs, but ultimately, you get what you pay for.

Thanks for providing all of the insights!

-tsl

 

[marker4x4]

...One person i talked with regarding this site mentioned that he saw more qualifications on the RFQ's lately. Specifically, bidders needed to be US based....

I'm not aware of anything like that. Certainly, MFG.com itselfis not in position, nor interested in enforcingMade inUSA (or Canada stipulation, although - ultimately - it would be a good thing for everyone concerned. The term "globalization" is causing certain gastrological reflexfor many people, the undersigned included.... I'm literally sick of it, and the whole mess we're in just proves the shortsighedness <sp?> of the powers up there.


'K, what I was going to say.... oh, we were with Mfg.com for one year about five years ago, dropped it because of massive amount of time that systemdemanded; certainly not worth the jobs awarded.I looked at it again this year andIMHOit looks even worse, with a multitude offshore companies willing to work for (almost) free. And the membership is way up too. C'mon Mitch, look what have you done. Oh well, enough of that, it's getting late and I'm bitter.