3 Benefits of Sourcing American-made Natural Rubber for Your Business

Did you know KEP is the ONLY manufacturer of natural rubber latex tubing in the U.S.A.?

We are one of the few companies in our industry that can proudly claim that ALL our products are still made in the United States!

The Made in the U.S.A. stamp means a lot more than a label of origin. This marker of quality is something we’re very proud of—but what does it mean for our customers?

We manufacture American. We hire American. The result? High-quality products, timely deliveries and satisfied, long-term customers.

Already under the assumption your product is American-made?

Supporting American workers is often one of the main reasons companies looks for a domestic manufacturer to put their ideas and prototypes into production. The Made in the U.S.A. accreditation is also a valuable marketing tool because consumers know that it is synonymous with quality.

Taking this into consideration, many businesses choose a domestic company and assume their product is being manufactured in the United States. However, their facilities may not be in the United States, adhering to domestic high standards of quality, and instead, are merely a domestic storefront outsourcing the actual work in places where lower standards are accepted. Made in the U.S.A. quality might be something they wrongly assume they are receiving.

In truth, manufacturing overseas is cheaper. Many companies, in the pursuit of short-term financial gain, choose to do business with manufacturers outside of the United States.

These manufacturers cannot ensure the Made in the U.S.A. benefits that KEP has provided to businesses since 1960!

Benefit #1 — American-Made Means Quality

KEP is dedicated to ensuring that the final products you receive are made to the exacting specifications you need and meet high standards of quality, and our domestic facilities and dedicated employees help us accomplish this for our customers.

Our commitment to our customers’ goals starts with answering any questions you have, then we work closely with you to develop your prototype and discuss the scope of your product. We follow the same commitment to quality service from the initial stages of your project all the way through to the final delivery.

It is much easier for KEP and other domestic manufacturers to engage in valuable, face-to-face meetings with our customers. We not only have intimate knowledge that helps to guide and inform our customers from prototype to finished product, we take care of our customers like family and this carries through in all aspects of their experience.

When you manufacture overseas, that same level of customer service is hard to achieve, meaning you could be left out of integral parts of communication during the process. Your end product could be far from what you’re expecting.

Choosing to do business with a domestic manufacturer not only means communication is easier, so customers are satisfied with their product from prototype phase to final design, production and delivery—the United States also has higher manufacturing and labor standards than overseas manufacturers, further adding to the quality of American-made products. KEP uses these standards as a baseline to exact an even higher quality control. We have been doing this for decades.

Our employees are a valued part of our quality control and are dedicated to and rewarded for finding new ways to improve and deliver the best products for our customers. We leverage the natural talent of every employee at all levels. Our lean practices philosophy provides a platform for all of our employees to offer insights to challenges and offer continual improvements in our processes and product development.

Compared to overseas manufacturers where employees might not have incentive to look for quality, product flaws and inconsistencies are more common. However, if you’re unable to get the manufacturer on the phone or if there is a language barrier, it might make getting the problem solved very difficult. In the end your business has to absorb the loss and it’s very costly to refund, repair, and even recall products that do not adhere to a high-standard of production.

Want to skip the hassle of product issues and losses? Choose KEP’s American-made quality—Our dedicated employees and local, domestic facilities allows us to deliver high-quality from prototype to finished product.

Benefit #2 — Short Lead Times

Choosing American-made means shorter lead times—days compared to weeks or even months when shipping your product from overseas. Overseas products require lengthy customs and import process and further delays could be caused by erratic global conditions. Not to mention, orders from foreign manufactures often require full containers of product when your demand requires a smaller amount.

At KEP we’re located where you are and are committed to giving our customers flexible and on-time solutions. Tell us what your delivery needs are and our experts will plan for an expeditious start-to-final-shipment process. Need specific amount of materials ready to ship same day? In the past we have worked out tight-timeline plans and established just-in-time delivery services to assure we’re providing appropriate service to our customers. This option is essential for businesses who need to have orders sent out and replenished quickly.

Meet deadlines and make your customers happy by choosing a domestic manufacturer who can guarantee short lead times. Overseas delays have to be dealt with by customer service representatives via message, phone or email and their mastery of your language—as well as your problem—may be insufficient.

We provided high quality products and services to a rubber band manufacturer. This customer tried to save money by switching to an Asian manufacturer. The result? Not only did they experience very long lead times, their product suffered in quality. Their customer service wasn’t able to resolve their issue in time because of the time zone difference, and our customer lost revenue in the end. Where they thought they were cutting funds, they actually ended up having to pay the Cost of Cheap. They returned and to this day are glad to be with KEP.

At KEP we don’t think it’s about giving customers better or worse service—but giving the appropriate service to our customers at all times. When you call, a real person answers the phone and you receive our 100% commitment to answering your questions and providing the best solutions.

Have a unique packaging or delivery request? Or need a large order last minute? It takes a long time to cross an ocean and is expensive to air freight product for expedited delivery. Even without unforeseen delays, overseas manufacturers might not be able to provide the delivery speeds your business needs.

Choose KEP’s domestic manufacturing and we’ll work with you to accommodate all your needs, whatever they may be, to ensure lead times that work with your product flow and production schedules. That’s one of the benefits of choosing KEP American-made products!

Benefit #3 — Customer Satisfaction

We think of ourselves as a service organization disguised as a manufacturing company. We share a genuine commitment to our customers, which is why we aim to make sure they are satisfied with their service and their product. We also are committed to working as a team to ensure all of our customers’ needs are met.

Part of delivering the best American-made products is making sure our processes are efficient and streamlined to keep costs low, ensure quality, short lead times and satisfied customers. Since 2007 we’ve been dedicated to making continuous Lean improvements in our facilities to reduce our footprint, improve processes, and lead to increased quality.

Our dedication to customer satisfaction starts with the perfect prototype and ends with products being delivered on time to client specification and budget.

The United States also has more intellectual property protections than many foreign countries, which means manufacturing overseas could put your ideas and your business at risk. According to the FBI, NDAs are meaningless overseas. Also, U.S. patent or trademark does not afford protection in another country.

Choose KEP and rest assured that your product cannot be copied and mass produced—by law domestic manufacturers like us maintain strict intellectual property rights protections.

Like the benefits of choosing American-made?

You have a specialized product that is in high demand—it needs to be delivered reliably, on a schedule and to exacting specifications. Choose KEP’s American-made quality for your elastomer rubber latex tubing, thermoplastic, PVC tubing, dip-molded products and more—we will we honor shorter lead times and consistent, reliable products and service. If there are ever any issues, or if you would just like to talk about the scope of your project, give us a call—or we can meet face-to-face at one of our facilities. That’s the advantage of being local!
For your current or upcoming project, are you looking for Made in the U.S.A. quality, short lead times and a commitment to customer satisfaction? ASK KEP!

References

Waksman, K. (2017, May 1). Choosing Between Domestic and Foreign Manufacturers. Retrieved from https://www.thebalance.com/choosing-between-domestic-and-foreign-manufacturers-3502283