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MD MEP Supplier Portal Helps Manufacturer Generate New Sales
With the help of: Maryland MEP
About
The Challenge
During challenging times, there is no choice but to rise to the occasion, find your creativity, and push forward. Like many businesses during the outbreak, Strategic Factory found ways to pivot from their traditional model of print, signage, branded apparel, promo products, and agency services to supply essential businesses with personal protective equipment (PPE) and virus prevention supplies.
Scott Stein, VP of Sales explains, “PPE was nearly impossible for our customers to obtain through their traditional channels, so they began asking us for help. We immediately leveraged our existing supply chain to source PPE at very competitive prices for our customers, many of which include firefighters, police, and families on military bases. We are also paying for rush shipping on masks, protective overalls, hand sanitizer, and gloves to get supplies into the hands of workers on the frontlines as quickly as possible.” Strategic Factory needed help getting the products to the right places.
MD MEP’s support and the Maryland Manufacturing Network Supplier Portal have helped Strategic Factory grow this line of business and help strengthen the supply chain within Maryland.
MEP's Role
In an effort to support Strategic Factory in getting these products to market and to the organizations most in need, Maryland MEP, part of the MEP National Network™, developed the Maryland Manufacturing Network Supplier Portal which listed the organization as a verified supplier of these items. Through the supplier portal, businesses, government agencies and emergency management "buyers" looking for sources of products were able to connect with Strategic Factory to meet their purchasing needs.
The Maryland Manufacturing Network was designed to identify manufacturers and suppliers with the ability to quickly and efficient produce and source PPE and other critical items and showcase and highlight these organizations for buyers within Maryland. More importantly, the Portal was designed to facilitate the connection between buyers with the need to source PPE and manufacturers and suppliers capable of fulfilling those needs.
Strategic Factory continues to produce and supply PPE and other critical items, and this has resulted in a new line of business and the short-term sustainability and growth of the organization. These products continue to be marketed through the Maryland Manufacturing Network Supplier Portal which has resulted in more than 6,000 searches to date.