The Challenge:
Simply because a company has been in business for over 100 years, does not exempt them from challenges. A premier manufacturer of heavy-lifting equipment, in business since 1873, found themselves facing the challenge of finding a new bearing supplier due to a sudden price increase. Price increases are like a leaky faucet, they only get worse over time. So when their current bearing supplier hit them with a 40% price increase and grossly extended lead times, it was like a pipe burst and immediate action was needed to repair the situation. As with difficult challenges this customer had faced in the past, they created a team to solve this latest trial. The solution was simple; they needed to find a new source for this critical component.
The Solution:
XMEK put together their own team of experienced engineers and bearing specialists to tackle the customer’s challenge. Utilizing their vast knowledge and experience combined with worldwide sourcing advantages, the XMEK team began working on not just selling them a product, but developing a total solution to address all of the customer’s needs. The team spent long hours working alongside the customer analyzing load profiles and bearing capacities to ensure the solution XMEK recommended would exceed the customer’s specifications. XMEK was determined to provide the customer a comprehensive solution, not just sell them a replacement bearing.
The Results:
XMEK won the business because they were able to offer a level of technical expertise with unbiased recommendations that typical distributors are not able to provide. The customer was very pleased with the end result because they not only had a replacement bearing that more than satisfied the customer’s demands for performance and durability, but at a lower cost as well thanks to XMEK global sourcing advantages. In addition to technical support, XMEK was also able to offer a customized logistics program to ensure product availability and shorter lead times.
Application / Products:
- Bearings for heavy-lift jacks