To Succeed in Manufacturing, Learn to Thrive in Uncertainty
Running a precision machine shop during an industry-wide labor shortage, a global pandemic, unprecedented supply chain disruptions, and some of the most contentious presidential election cycles in history has certainly been one of the most interesting challenges of my life.
With another presidential election year underway, many CNC machine shops, including mine, are experiencing a period of decreased business as markets like aerospace and defense slow down spending while awaiting the election’s outcome.
In full transparency, Focused on Machining recently experienced three of the worst quarters on record. I don’t mind putting that in writing for all to see. Why? Because I’m confident we’ll persevere and that things will improve with time.
Focused on Machining has weathered plenty of storms and proven repeatedly that we come out better and stronger on the other side.
2018: Material Tariffs Lead to Pricing Volatility
When I took over as president of Focused on Machining on October 26, 2016, America was two weeks away from Donald Trump becoming president. It was a surprising outcome that most of us in manufacturing thought would positively impact our industry.
However, in 2018, President Trump announced that he would impose tariffs on steel and aluminum. Whereas previously, we could take POs without re-quoting projects, suddenly, we had to re-quote nearly every project due to material pricing volatility.
Instead of letting this obstacle get in our way, we began to identify and share material sourcing best practices with customers—best practices that would prove valuable amid the supply chain disruptions that would occur in the coming years. Additionally, I worked closely with the team at Paperless Parts to help them implement real-time pricing to automate the material quoting process.
2020: COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts the Global Economy
In March 2020, COVID-19 brought the world to a halt. Like everyone else in our industry, we wondered how it would impact manufacturing. I recall going through about six weeks of extreme uncertainty, fearing that a lack of business would lead me to inevitable layoffs.
Instead, the opposite happened: my business grew. As a CNC machine shop specializing in medical machining, we began quoting parts for 3D printed face shields, ventilators, and other equipment suddenly in high demand.
We then went on to experience our biggest growth period in history—right in the middle of the pandemic. While many shops did have to resort to layoffs, Focused on Machining found a niche with customers whose industries were booming during a time when people were spending a lot of their time at home: cannabis and beer canning.
2023-2024: Presidential Election Year Slows Business in Critical Markets
Recently, we’ve felt the impact as business has temporarily slowed in markets like aerospace and defense in anticipation of the 2024 presidential election. However, our efforts in the past decade have positioned us to continue thriving.
Here are just some of the reasons I know Focused on Machining is here to stay:
Continuous sales and marketing efforts help us stay top of mind for customers
Diversification across industries ensures we can navigate market highs and lows
Certifications like AS9100, ITAR, and ISO 9001:2016 allow us to cast a wide net
Willingness to take on complex projects means we manufacture parts and build assemblies other shops won’t
Fast quoting and on-time delivery build our reputation as a world-class shop, which helps us secure high-profile customers
I’m proud of how far Focused on Machining has come and excited to see where we go in the decades ahead. No matter what, I’m confident we can overcome any challenges in our way—we’ve already done that time and again, and the results speak for themselves.