Buy NZ Made – Can you afford not to?
For years, supply chains have focused on reducing inventory levels and cutting costs by embracing lean, just-in-time management in their logistics plans. We’ve all seen this spectacularly backfire over the past 2 years, and we still don’t see the end of the supply chain nightmares in sight.
NZ is a tiny fish in a massive pond, and we’ve been hit hard.
We’ve all seen it, large price hikes in both raw materials costs but also of freight, with some exceeding 100% year on year. One of the sectors hit the hardest is the construction sector. Ninety per cent of construction products sold in New Zealand are either imported as finished products or manufactured locally using some imported components. That’s 90% of the industry under pressure right now, but some are certainly better off than others.
Those that have invested in local stock holdings, local manufacturing and diversified supply chains are in a good position to fulfil the current demand in the industry. At Ulti Group, we’ve been building up our local manufacturing capability and supply chain strength, over the past few years, and this has proven invaluable to our customers throughout this period of uncertainty. Our customers know they can rely on us for products and services as they need them, and we’re thankful we have been able to help our customers through.
With this focus back on locals supporting locals, can you afford not to buy NZ made?
We get it, you want a reliable and quality solution, installed in a realistic timeframe, at a reasonable price, with backup service and support you can trust. These days, with all the uncertainty in global supply chains, this statement can only be true of companies that have invested in local supply chains.
Some people believe substantial cost savings are possible through importing complete doors from China or Eastern Europe. While the product price can sometimes look attractive, many people make the mistake of miscalculating the cost of freight, including possible delays, and installation, with hidden costs commonly encountered through unsupported electrical hardware/software, differing voltages, and non-compliant safety systems. Initial cost savings are lost before the equipment has even been commissioned, through wasted time, replacement of missing or inferior parts, and conversion of hardware to suit local conditions. That’s before we even get to ongoing maintenance, and replacement parts that may take weeks or months to source and replace, creating a large amount of downtime, and thousands of dollars lost to this sometimes unseen cost.
We want the best products for our customers, and this does mean that importing world-class products not available in NZ has a place, but we have been able to make our core range of products available on short leadtimes, due to local manufacturing, and stock holding. This includes:
Rapid Doors
Ulti Roll Door
Ulti Fold Door
Ulti Spiral Door
Freezer and Coolroom Doors
Ulti Frigo 2
Ulti Flex
PVC Strip Curtains
Loading Systems
Warehouse Safety
It’s safe to say, you get what you pay for, and what you pay for should be local. At Ulti Group we’re thankful that we’ve been able to meet our customer needs through our local production, and service centres located throughout New Zealand.
We’re here to help!
