The Thomas Blog

5 Things Manufacturers Are Wishing For This Holiday Season

Between gearing up for the year-end at work and getting ready for celebrations at home, the holidays can be an especially stressful time for manufacturers.

Here are priorities that could make the holiday season and the upcoming year a little brighter and a whole lot more successful for the manufacturing industry.

How To Build Stronger Supply Chain Relationships With SMBs

Small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are an essential and valuable part of the supply chain, offering levels of flexibility, cost competitiveness and responsiveness that some larger suppliers often can't match. SMBs are typically more flexible and responsive than their larger counterparts, and they allow you to take advantage of the benefits of local sourcing.

However, while procurement teams want to engage SMBs, the feeling isn't always mutual. That's because larger buying organizations make it onerous for these smaller companies to participate in the bidding process. As a result, SMBs believe it takes too much time, effort and guesswork to respond to large buyers, all for a very slim chance of winning business.

Measuring The Industrial Marketing ROI Of Phone Calls

When it comes to measuring the return on investment (ROI) of your marketing activities, it’s essential that you’re actually measuring all of it. Thanks to the increasing prevalence of digital marketing, most marketers look at things like clicks, open rates and conversions. But if you’re like many industrial suppliers, you could be overlooking an essential piece of the marketing metrics puzzle — phone inquiries.

Three Logistics Lessons Black Friday Can Teach Manufacturers And The Supply Chain

The shopping frenzy known as Black Friday is almost here. While you will probably see lots of stories about long lines and huge crowds tussling over the latest toys and electronics, there is another story taking place behind the scenes — one of careful planning, lots of moving parts, and plenty of risks. It’s a story of logistics.

The Men Behind The Maps: How Beer Cap Maps Became A Reality

Every day, more than 40,000 B2B purchase decision makers visit Thomasnet.com to source products and services and find a new supplier.

Those purchase decision makers include two engineers from Wisconsin, who recently discovered Jonco Industries, Inc, a full-service industrial supplier. Together, they created an awesome Made In America product — The Beer Cap Map — which has been a huge hit for craft beer lovers and road trippers throughout the country.

Celebrating The Independent American Manufacturer

In honor of the Fourth of July, Thomas is not only celebrating Independence Day, but also celebrating the independent American manufacturers that contribute so much to our country throughout the year.

And while there are many  of reasons to appreciate these small and mid-sized businesses, we wanted to highlight three in particular.

The American Inventions That Revolutionized Manufacturing

American inventors have had a tremendous impact on the United States and people around the world. 

The manufacturing industry has also felt the impact of these innovators who were willing to push the possibilities of their times and technologies.

Thomas took a look back at a few of the awesome American inventions that have shaped the industry.

Setting Yourself Up For Social Media Success

The world of social media has changed tremendously in the past decade. From Facebook toTwitter, these social networks were originally designed as a place for users to connect with family and friends. Now these platforms are a venue for brands to reach their users and potential customers.

There are many great ways to reach your audience through social media. Here are a few tips to ensure your strategy is on the right track.

Why You Need To Expand Your Business To New Markets

The manufacturing industry can be unpredictable. One minute you might be entering into a lucrative contract with a great new customer; the next, that customer could be going out of business — putting your own company at risk in the process.

The best way to guard against this risk is to diversify your business and expand into new markets. Here are three reasons why you should consider it in your shop: