Making the most of the fabricating family

At most family shindigs, you can expect a nice meal with a kerfuffle as a side dish.

At a Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Annual Meeting several years ago, a leader of a metal fabricating company came up to me and struck up a conversation. After some initial pleasantries, the person made the comment that he didn’t have a lot in common with his peers at the conference. As a large fabricator with more than 100,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space and 100 employees, he really didn’t see his company wrestling with the same issues as shops that were a quarter of the size. While others at the conference sought guidance on finding the right ERP system or making the most of social media-based marketing, this company leader was more concerned with growing revenues. The conference was interrupting that effort.

Criticism, even if constructive, can sting, but I understood his perspective. It’s hard to find any subject or idea that will achieve 100% support from the targeted group. If the sermon isn’t meaningful, a parishioner has the right to leave the sanctuary unsatisfied.

But as FMA looks forward to its March 1-3 Annual Meeting in Miami, I reflected back on that criticism and thought about why a larger metal fabricating company might find value at the gathering. The answers are much clearer to me today following the pandemic.

Strengthen that supply chain. It’s no secret that a majority of the metal fabricating companies in the U.S. are on the smaller side. As an example, of the 52,000 subscribers to The FABRICATOR, almost 60% have 49 or fewer employees. In this case, good things come in small packages.

These small shops have one thing that larger manufacturers typically don’t have: flexibility. They aren’t burdened by unions, boards of directors, or long-term contracts with multinational manufacturing companies. They are aware of what needs to be done and can take immediate steps to do it. The company president is likely the lead estimator, head of human resources, production supervisor, and chief of getting things done.

After an 18-month stretch when manufacturing ground to a halt and then shot back up like a rocket, what metal fabricator isn’t interested in having good relationships with job shops that might be able to help out in a pinch? It works out especially well if these supply chain partners that can offer fabricating capacity are located in different geographic areas and are focused on different industry segments, both of which minimize the threat of the shops potentially stealing business. The best way to scope out these potential partners is to get to know them. Industry functions like the FMA Annual Meeting are a great way to do that.

Think about the big picture. We talked about working to establish manufacturing partners, but what if there’s a possibility for something more? Sometimes the best business opportunities come when you least expect them.

Smaller job shops can be great investment targets. They might be connected to an industry segment, such as aerospace, for example, that is hard to crack. They might be in a geographic region of the country that is hopping.

Of course, the best way to find these targets is to get to know the players in the industry, and meeting other fabricators truly is one of the benefits of industry gatherings.

Big or small, metal fabricating companies can benefit from getting to know their peers. Industry conferences, like the FMA Annual Meeting, are great events to do just that. A-Digit/Getty Images

Make a personal connection. Metal fabricators don’t need therapists; they need to talk to other fabricators, the only people who really know about the ups and downs of working in a job shop.

Such personal connections can mean a lot, especially when dealing with universal pain points, like finding good workers. Simple conversations might result in offering or receiving good advice. More complex relationships can entail benchmarking and facility visits. Decision-making is always stronger when a fabricator seeks the wisdom of others that might have more relevant experiences.

Attending an industry conference doesn’t automatically make a person smarter. It’s up to the individual to make the most of the moment.

The FMA Annual Meeting is an opportunity for metal fabricators to come together to learn from speakers—and each other. No matter their size, companies can find value in one of the few industry events tailored to the interests of the metal fabricating community. It’s just a matter of attending with an open mind and a desire to recognize opportunities that others might overlook.