Finding a good metal fabrication supplier to work with to meet your company’s needs long term is important, but how do you know when you’ve found a quality company you can trust? No one wants to pay for a botched order or have to explain to customers about delays due to late or shoddy work. Here are five questions to ask of any metal fabricator before you sign a contract or place an order. From the answers you get to these questions, you should know if a company will produce quality work for you or not.
- The first question should be simple enough to answer: How long has your company been in operation?
The longer a company has been in business, the more information should be available about how it operates and if others are satisfied with their work. Companies will often highlight their history to show that they know what they are doing and are experts in their industry. We are one of these. Originally founded in 1946, D+M Metal Products has been in the Buist family for 46 years now and is in the second generation of ownership. We have been in our current location since 1984 and have expanded several times to keep up with demand and to give more floor space to accommodate our greater metal fabrication capabilities.
- Another good question to ask is: How many customers does your business have?
A company with a large number of customers is a more stable, well regarded company, and a metal fabricator with customers across industries is likely to have larger capabilities. Most companies are happy to tell you about the work they’ve done for their clients and how that translates into what they can do for your company. Don’t hesitate to ask.
- A third question is: What machinery do you have?
Metal fabrication involves the use of a wide variety of machinery and equipment. Your metal fabricator should have invested in good, updated equipment. If you ask them for a tour of their facilities, they should be willing to let you see what they have and how it’s used before you sign a contract or place an order. Of course, you’ll have to put on safety goggles and remain outside of the work envelope of the welders and machine operators, but if you have the chance to take a tour, you should. It will tell you a lot about how the company operates and what they are capable of producing.
- The fourth question is related to the third, then: Can I see examples of your work?
A good metal fabricator will be happy to show you work off the press, and they may be able to find a comparable product to the one you need for your order, especially if you give them notice of what you’d like to see before you arrive.
- A fifth question to ask involves efficiency: How long does it take for you to fill an order?
Any contract you sign with a metal fabrication supplier will specify the timeline for the project, but it’s good to know how fast the company can accommodate a typical order, a rushed order, or a special project. Ask them what the typical turnaround time is for the type of order your company needs.
One Additional Question to Ask before You Place an Order
Finally, there’s one bonus question every company really needs to know: What happens if we are not fully satisfied with your work?
At D+M Metal Products we are proud of the work we produce and our quality control program. We guarantee the satisfaction of our customers. We understand that new customers haven’t had years to work with us and see the pride that we take in our process and our products, but we have a long history of doing good work and establishing great relationships with our customers. If you have any questions about metal fabrication before you place an order, please let us know and we will do our best to answer them. We want your business, and we look forward to working with you on your next project.