Meet Your Metal Fabrication Experts
In Focus
When Brent Beauchamp walks onto the floor of a metal fabrication facility, he has one thing on his mind: bottlenecks; where are they, and how can they be resolved?
Beauchamp is an outside sales rep specializing in fabrication with Ryerson. This sense of foresight is more than just an occupational habit; it's a sixth sense finely tuned by experience. Before the questions arise, he's already charting a course toward solutions, driven by an innate understanding of improvement opportunities.
Here is one example. “Equipment is the main thing—if I see a variety of high-volume parts but only one welder on the floor hand-welding all of these parts, then I know there’s an opportunity to remove a bottleneck,” says Beauchamp. “In that case, we would offer a robotic welded supply chain solution for those higher volume parts, allowing their on-site welder to focus on lower volume, high-mix, high-value parts.
With welders hit particularly hard by the labor shortage, these opportunities become a significant source of value-add for Beauchamp and his team.
Yet the solutions-oriented approach to removing bottlenecks isn’t only about productivity—quality improvements are also part and parcel of the process.
“Our internal inspection equipment, the people, and the processes we have all help ensure a consistent quality for every product or project. Ramping up production isn’t the only factor for manufacturers with extensive backlogs. Conveying the commitment to quality control that we have at Ryerson is what removes the bottleneck and replaces it with something better.”
"... I work to develop the best supply chain solution with all our resources and assets to solve that problem. If the solution meets all the customer’s requirements, then a plan is put into motion with our team to execute and deliver."
Brent Beauchamp, Ryerson
That solutions-oriented approach has served Beauchamp and his customers well. “When a customer comes to me with a problem, I work to develop the best supply chain solution with all our resources and assets to solve that problem. If the solution meets all the customer’s requirements, then a plan is put into motion with our team to execute and deliver.”
Ryerson, renowned for its legacy in metal distribution, holds a hidden gem within its 180-year-old legacy – the expertise to craft metal parts and engineer innovative supply chain solutions that might surprise you. Reps like Beauchamp embody this—but he’s not alone.
Overcoming Labor Shortages to Meet Demand
Kevin Rusin, senior account manager at Ryerson, has seen it all in nearly 40 years of business leadership. In 2023, one chief customer concern reigned supreme over all others: labor.
“If you can’t find people to work in your plant, how will you make your products? We’ve seen companies that need to invest millions in new equipment facing the reality that they have no one to operate the machinery. That can put a damper on future planning, particularly when you’re talking about contracts that run into the millions.”
Navigating challenges in labor, supply chain, and efficiency in metal manufacturing is no small task for OEMs. The skilled expertise of knowledgeable experts like Rusin can make a tremendous difference—particularly when planning for a successful 2024.
Manufacturers facing labor shortages turn to Rusin for advice and guidance on meeting their production needs without facing expensive cost overruns. For Rusin, this support is part of what our team does best.
In recent years, Rusin has seen increasing customer focus on having products fabricated together rather than trying to produce every item independently. Part of that stems from labor shortages—why struggle to find the right people when their manufacturing partner already has the tools and talent on hand?
“The truth is that selling steel isn’t really my main job. It’s all about managing production flow and inventory.” Rusin compares his role for clients to that of purchasing gas for a car. “Imagine having to go to a tank farm, give them your order form, then wait for them to transfer your purchase to the carrier so they can transfer it to the gas station, where you pay again. Three order forms for one order versus just driving up to Chevron to purchase it yourself.
"What do you need? What are you buying? Is the forecast going up or down? Our best asset is to advise on those key questions and provide support to meet production demand."
Kevin Rusin, Ryerson
“That’s the kind of reality many manufacturers face regarding order production. In this case, Ryerson is the one-stop shop, and we’re having those conversations many times per month. What do you need? What are you buying? Is the forecast going up or down? Our best asset is to advise on those key questions and provide support to meet production demand.”
The Supply Chain Challenge For 2024
Jason Helmin, Ryerson’s outside sales rep for North American fabrication, has helped advise on many of the same labor challenges for manufacturers across multiple industries. The shortages earlier in the year have now given way to a new reality for manufacturing supply chains.
“Different materials have their own issues. In some cases, clients were looking at eight-to-twelve weeks of lead time just to get material.” Those kinds of lengthy production delays just weren’t feasible for many of Helmin’s customers.
“A lot of companies were forced to check overseas, which wasn’t necessarily the direction they wanted to go,” explains Helmin. Offering supply chain mitigation strategies that brought manufacturing closer to home has been paramount for his clients.
“Keeping everything internally U.S. manufactured and made can help OEMs stay responsive and react more quickly to market demands. They’re very keen on it and, therefore, something we focus on as an ongoing goal.”
Supporting onshore and nearshore production helps when you have vendors across the U.S. Helmin notes another major asset for his team when working with manufacturing clients. “A lot of our customer loyalty comes from being able to work on the fly. When doing certain things requiring multiple processes, there’s always a chance that something doesn’t go smoothly. That’s where we come in.”
"When doing certain things requiring multiple processes, there’s always a chance that something doesn’t go smoothly. That’s where we come in."
Jason Helmin, Ryerson
Helmin’s team has a time-tested strategy for overcoming these challenges. “Keep the customer informed, understand the issue, and focus on bringing alternative solutions. We have a strong ability to utilize our outside vendors to meet production demand without encountering any delays. That, along with consistent communication, is why manufacturers work with us for their fabrication needs for the long term.”
As manufacturers navigate the challenge of eliminating bottlenecks, ensuring top-notch quality, and meeting soaring production demands amidst a competitive labor market, a fabrication specialist's guidance and skill set emerge as the pivotal factor in achieving unparalleled success.
Let Ryerson be your professional guide. Contact us today to learn more. 