Donna Jones

By Mitchell Rona, Executive Vice President, #GlobalSourcerer

The continuing tale of the tariff …

The “Phase One” USA / China Trade deal garnered some attention from weary global sourcing professionals as it was signaled and then formally announced in mid January. But the reduction in tariffs from 15% to 7.5% only affected the group 4A HTS codes. Group 4A is largely consumer-related products and does not include the vast majority of the products that concern casting consumers. Unquestionably, there are many other issues under negotiation in this mega trade deal, but for most procurement leaders, focus remains on the bottom line…. Read More >

In the current climate, many OEM customers are seeking new sources to meet their global manufacturing needs. Choosing a foundry in an emerging market can be overwhelming. The success of a project often hinges on the foundry and foundry’s management team. If the operation is not sound, there can be dire consequences.  Faulty components, delayed deliveries, unforeseen costs, and other issues are the risks associated with substandard foundries.

SIGMA OEM offers the following advice on selecting a reputable foundry to ensure that the is job done right:

1.  Conduct a full quality audit of the facility.  Request a comprehensive report of quality protocols. Provide a gap analysis where required to bring the quality levels to meet overall quality expectations. Ensure that the supplier follows, updates, and documents the QA processes.
… Read More >

by Mitchell Rona, Executive  Vice President, #GlobalSourcerer

As we move toward the end of 2019, tariffs continue to affect our industry. As a result, this has been a challenging year for many sourcing professionals. We are all in it together, as we see consequences and tremors up and down the supply chain. As the tariffs linger, there continues to be discussion about the value of using an established OEM service, or attempting to establish an in-country presence and go it alone. The risk of starting a ground up operation overseas is significant, with many unforeseen minefields, which can result in disaster.  Additionally, the costs associated with staffing, relocating personnel, and operating in an unfamiliar business culture can be enormous…. Read More >

by Mitchell Rona, Executive Vice President, #GlobalSourcerer

As anyone who has been doing business in China knows, the country’s environmental problems are well documented. China hit the world stage, and increased its international profile back in 2008 when it hosted the Olympics in Beijing. For China, this was like a debutante’s coming out ball!

Since then, China has consistently made strides to improve its environmental standing in the world. In the last two to three years, that push for improvements in environmental compliance has increased, and has translated into tremendous pressure on all manufacturing suppliers; it has hit suppliers of iron and steel castings especially hard.

In late 2017, and the first half of 2018, this pressure intensified as many suppliers suffered … Read More >