(1888PressRelease)
October 14, 2008 - Raleigh, N.C. Holly Borowy, the Senior Vice President of Raleigh metal machine shop BMI South, has been trying to solve issues related to the bad U. S. economic environment for small manufacturing firms, like hers.
Her company, founded in 1991, has a management creed: “Make it perfect. Make it cheap. And, make it quick.”
But, she has been running into a complex set of issues that were probably not anticipated when the U. S. changed its global trade policies in the early 1990s. Her major customers are re-locating operations in India and China, which probably was expected.
What was not expected was that the U. S. trade policies would eliminate her main sources of domestic suppliers, in addition to costing her main sources of customer revenues.
“We can compete on low cost with any manufacturer in the world,” Borowy said recently during her presentation at the October 9, 2008, RTP Tech Event @ Goodnight’s. “But, we need a local domestic supply chain to compete, and our suppliers are going out of business as a result of global competition.”
The situation with Borowy’s supply chain is critical. She attended the first RTP Tech Event in August, hoping to find some solutions to her problems, and met Greg Brown with Raleigh Scrap Metal, a local metal supply company.
In addition to discussing business opportunities for metal, Brown provided interesting advice on internet sales and web optimization strategies that Borowy had not thought about.
They were able to exchange business cards at the event, and agreed to meet at Borowy’s plant so that Brown could see her operations. Brown went to BMI the next week, and his suggestions on website optimization were implemented immediately.
“This one business connection improves our internet presence dramatically,” said Borowy. “There is no way to calculate the value of that one contact,” she added.
Tom Vass, an investment advisor and organizer of the Tech Event said the new connection for BMI South with Raleigh Scrap Metal is one of the goals of the event. “We need to start seeing each other in the RTP as loyal allies and partners in this environment and begin developing trust and allegiance to each other’s survival,” he said.
“It is becoming more apparent to me every day that the changes in the U. S. trade policies beginning 20 years ago are having a disastrous effect on small U. S. manufacturers, that is disrupting the nation’s ability to innovate and compete.”
The RTP Tech Event is one type of new monthly collaboration networking event that may be able to help small manufacturers, as the new valuable connection for BMI South demonstrates.
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