Finding a sheet metal company to partner with can make or break your business. Here are 6 things you’ll want to look out for before you choose one:

Physical capabilities

Does the vendor work with the specific materials you need? There are plenty of materials out there, from aluminum and brass to copper and nickel, tin, steel and titanium, among other things. You’ll need to know if the company has the resources, tools and equipment necessary to handle these materials, says VendOp. If that’s not the case, you’ll need to start scouting around for another company to partner with.

Experience

There’s simply no substitute for experience. Working with a service company that’s been in business for many, many years in the field means you can count on their knowledge and technical expertise to get the job done as efficiently as possible. If you must choose between a long-standing player in the field and a new comer, there’s no contest. Longtime players in the field will win, hands down.

Skills

Look for a vendor that employs trained and skilled employees. Proper training and skills will always mean better results. If you want to make sure they deliver output you can trust, ask about the company’s employees. Are they qualified and trained for the work? Do they have what it takes to generate excellent results? Find out before you work with a vendor.

Location

While this isn’t a very big concern, if the company has factories overseas such as in China, that could mean greater shipping costs for you. With fuel prices spiking, you could end up paying for more than you should for a project or part. You might want to look for service suppliers that are much closer to you. That way, you can save on fuel costs. That’s going to help keep your operational costs-including your shipping costs-low.

Facility

Does the sheet metal company have a big enough facility to get the work done? If you’ve got huge volumes of orders coming in, is the team and the company equipped with state of the art tools and equipment? These can tremendously improve processes so if the company has them, you know you’re in good hands.

Feedback

Don’t forget to go online and check for complaints or feedback about the company. Does the company score high on online ratings? Does it have a ton of positive reviews? These can help you decide which company is the right one to partner with.

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