Gorilla Bow Fitness had a strong sales year in 2018, thanks to the help of SIGMA OEM’s design, manufacture, and logistics service team. Fans of the product couldn’t get enough of the innovative full body workout apparatus, and they requested a more portable version so they could travel with it. The team at Gorilla began to conceptualize a prototype that could be disassembled for travel but maintained the strength to withstand the 350 pounds of resistance required for usage…. Read More >
Legacy Deals in Global Sourcing: Not All They’re Cracked Up To Be
by Mitchell Rona, Executive Vice President, #GlobalSourcerer
Global sourcing experts often rely on the legacy of the deals made in the past as the benchmarks for planning the future. Most loyal and reliable suppliers will maintain these legacy deals, only asking their buyers to cover the markers of cost, which are visible in the public domain. However, these suppliers may decline to quote new projects to these same customers, because the legacy prices are artificially low, and cannot be matched in the current climate. If they were to quote market value prices for new projects, customers might experience comparative “sticker shock.” This may not be true in all cases, but global sourcing experts with a long historical view are observing these types of changes in the market…. Read More >
The Tale of the Tariff Continues
by Mitchell Rona, Executive Vice President, #GlobalSourcerer
Tariffs imposed on goods from China are now nearing the one-year mark, and these duties continue to impact the business climate. The future remains uncertain, and global procurement specialists are left to decide how to best plan for the days, weeks, months and possibly years ahead. Some are feverishly “casting” as wide a net as possible looking for any and all options outside China. Others are cautiously exploring what might be possible elsewhere while hoping to avoid the arduous process of establishing new infrastructure after many successful years of solid service and sound supply chains that Chinese manufacturers have delivered. Still others are hunkering down with their existing suppliers in China and finding any and all means to maximize other areas to offset the tariff’s impact on the overall cost.
Regardless of what group you currently fall into, there is truly no quick fix or silver bullet to assure the decisions you are making are indeed the best option. … Read More >
Meet the Expanded SIGMA OEM Team
SIGMA has assembled a team of OEM experts to ensure that we continue to deliver industry-leading quality and service regardless of market fluctuations, global uncertainty and external factors. Please feel free to reach out to the following professionals for help with your OEM, castings, and sourcing needs:
Back Row – Left to Right:
Steve Kreiser, Product Engineer – SKreiser@sigmaco.com
Kathy Searles, Business Development Manager – kg1@sigmaco.com
Korey Kinler, Customer Service – kkinler@sigmaco.com
Jose Nieves, Associate OEM Business Manager – jnieves@sigmaco.com
Stephanie Goff, Customer Service – sgoff@sigmaco.com
Renee Cohen, Customer Service – rcohen@sigmaco.com
Craig Schapiro, Customer Service – CS1@sigmaco.com
Front Row – Left to Right:
Kaitlyn Bartlett, Business Development Assistant – kbartlett@sigmaco.com
Kelly Grant, Customer Service Manager – kf3@sigmaco.com
Ajay Roy, Global Engineering Manager – AR2@sigmaco.com
Meena Singh, Customer Service – MS1@sigmaco.com
Melissa Perrine, Business Development Coordinator – MP1@sigmaco.com
Melissa Heredia, Customer Service – mK2@sigmaco.com
Not Pictured:
Mitchell Rona, Executive Vice President – MR1@sigmaco.com
Stuart Box, Vice President of Engineering – SB2@sigmaco.com
Tom Whittington, Sales Manager – TWhittington@sigmaco.com
Jeremy Allen, Southwest Regional Sales Manager – JAllen@sigmaco.com
The Tale of the Tariff
By Mitchell Rona, Executive Vice President
Recently, US-China trade conflicts have resulted in a new tariffs being imposed on a wider number of goods manufactured in China, as well as a rise in existing tariffs. American companies and consumers (the importers) are paying the price for this battle of the worlds two largest economies; the duty does not fall on Chinese companies (the exporters). The “extra costs” are being sliced and diced up and down the entire supply chain hurting most businesses, consumers, and, many argue, the entire economy as a whole.
From the import side, American companies with long standing business interests in China are experiencing considerable stress and uncertainty. Prudent business professionals are examining this unsettled landscape and considering what action to take and how to manage our way forward.
For many, many products, the adage still applies: “There is no replacement for China but China.”
