The market for custom-designed, specialty tools is a niche within a niche. But, when a customer needs a specialized tool and comes to you to get it, being able to fill that order can go a long way toward solidifying a long-term relationship.
Several years ago, General Electric reevaluated its requirements for specialty tools for its power generation division. At the time, GE was buying its tools from overseas and was looking to find a domestic source competitive on price and able to match the quality it was accustomed to. The search began with an open bid opportunity, asking distributors to provide pricing information and availability for 1- and 1 1/2-inch, 12-point impact sockets. GE is the largest user of these specialized sockets, needing them for their turbine engines — and the heads of the bolts on the turbines have unique heads, adding to the complexity of the problem.
Because it was already a supplier to GE, S&S Industrial Equipment Supply, Trenton, NJ, was invited to bid, and challenged to find a source for these special tools in large quantities — GE required more than 500 sockets in the first order.
With a long-standing relationship with Wright Tool, S&S went to the Ohio-based tool maker first, according to vice president of operations Scott Sinclair. Within four days of the request, Sinclair had the winning bid in his hands. "It helps to work with a manufacturer that has readily available stock and can deliver quickly," Sinclair says.
S&S doesn't deal with a lot of different manufacturers, and Sinclair considers that an advantage. He considers it more important to build a personal relationship with key individuals within the company so you know who to go for when you have something like this come up, and the supplier knows how you work and what kind of customers you work with. "If a manufacturer knows you're committed to them, they're going to work for you," he explains. "Besides I don't have time to go to a lot of different sources to get quotes. Knowing I can go straight to Wright simplifies the process."
Everybody came out ahead on this project. S&S got the GE contract, Wright got a significant order, and GE immediately began saving money. Not only did the original tools meet or exceed the bid specs, but because of the quality and design, GE hasn't had to reorder as often as it did in the past, according to Sinclair.
Keep 'em flying
Three years ago the U.S. Navy took on a project to fit steam-driven catapults on all its aircraft carriers. The catapult, which launches aircraft with a sudden burst of speed, is a multipiece mechanism that requires assembly with very large fasteners. The Navy needed a tool that could handle a 1 5/16-inch socket, and it needed more than 1,000 of them.