The Thomas Blog

3 Tips to Stay Ahead of Tariffs for Holiday Procurement Planning This Year

Summer is almost upon us, which means it’s time for procurement professionals to start planning for the holiday season. With global tariffs continuing to shift, it’s smart to get a head start on end-of-year planning and know what your options are when it comes to sourcing and shipping. Here are three tips for making sure this holiday season runs smoothly.

How to Find U.S.-Based Suppliers

American manufacturers have increasingly been looking to optimize their production and sourcing processes by bringing them closer to home. These reshoring efforts involve moving production or shifting sourcing from overseas back to the U.S., which can reduce shipping costs, shorten lead times, improve sustainability and help companies avoid supply chain issues brought on by geopolitical uncertainties and sheer distance.

When it comes to reducing reliance on foreign supply chains, many companies have been shifting business away from China. Imports from China declined by 20%, or $105 billion, in 2024, according to the 2024 Reshoring Index from global management consultant Kearney.

Apple is among the prominent manufacturers that have moved business away from China. The technology company’s suppliers have spent an estimated $16 billion to shift production away from China to India, Mexico, Vietnam, and the U.S.

In addition to companies reshoring, there are a growing number of initiatives in the U.S. aimed at building up domestic supply chains for products ranging from rubber to batteries.  

How To Find Veteran-Owned Suppliers on Thomasnet.com

Whether you're in need of new blood in your supply chain or trying to build up your list of diverse suppliers, Thomas can help save you time and hassle in sourcing exactly what you need. Thomasnet.com^® offers detailed information on North American companies in over 75,000 categories of products and services, not to mention our CAD file library, whitepapers, and guides. In this article we're here to show you how to make the most of Thomasnet.com's features by covering the basics of finding and sourcing from the 6,200+ veteran-owned companies on our platform.

Advertising On Thomasnet.com: Does The Thomas Network Really Work?

If you tried to replicate all of the supplier evaluation activity on the platform that happens in a single month, it would take you 7.5 years — without sleeping.

The industry's most trusted sourcing platform at Thomasnet.com hosts more than 500,000 North American suppliers and brings millions of buyers each month. In fact, every second, a supplier is evaluated by a buyer on the platform.

That said, you might still have additional questions about the platform and how it works — we understand, especially about the results we deliver to manufacturers and industrial companies like yours.

So, in this post, we'll be sharing some additional insight and answers on how Thomasnet.com really works.

How To Become A Supplier For Big Companies

Becoming an approved supplier for a large global company can change your business dramatically, but landing a big customer takes far more than a hello and a handshake.

If you want your company get selected in the buying process, we have insights and tips to share — below, we'll talk about how big companies choose new suppliers, along with what manufacturers and industrial companies can do to increase their chances of earning new business from them. 

Thomas Factory Tours: Industrial Video Production Examples for Custom Manufacturers and OEMs

For industrial manufacturers, giving prospects a tour of their factories or plants helps showcase their processes and capabilities, and it lends legitimacy to their businesses. The most effective way to scale these tours is to use video content that can be posted, shared, and housed in the digital space, ready to be viewed at the click of a button.

The videos below, divided into sections based on each company's offerings, highlight strong examples of how industrial companies from different industries have given buyers a front-row seat to see their operations' inner workings and show what makes them a strong partner for their customers.

 Skip to:

1. CNC Milling and Machining Services
2. Spinning, Forging, and Casting
3. Stamping, Sheet Metal, and Tubing Fabrication
4. Plastics and Rubber Fabrication
5. End Product Production
6. Heat Treating and Finishing

**When you purchase video advertising on Thomasnet.com, we include video content production for FREE for OEMs, Distributors, and Service Companies

How Thomas WebTrax Differs From Google Analytics, The Thomas Network & More

More than 11,000 manufacturers use Thomas WebTrax to turn anonymous website traffic into real, actionable leads for their businesses.

However, we understand that you may still have questions about WebTrax, how it fits in with other Thomas solutions, and how it stacks up to other tools available in the marketplace. Hopefully, this post clears things up and helps you decide which solution works best for your industrial business.

Who Are The Industrial Buyers On The Thomas Network?

You know who your target customers are. 

You know what you can do for them and why they should choose you over your competition.

As for when you'd like them to contact you? ASAP would be nice, right?

The only problem is, you don't know where they all are. 

The good news is we do. Your prospective buyers are on our platform and enables you to engage industrial in-market buyers at every possible touchpoint in the buying process.

Manufacturing Day 2020: STEM Resources for High School and College Students

With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing many schools to shift away from in-person instruction toward a remote learning environment, the challenge of maintaining student engagement takes on increased significance. This is especially true in courses that involve STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).

When taught in a traditional in-person setting, STEM courses combine education in the theoretical treatment of the subject (gleaned from written material as found in textbooks) with the practical treatment of the subject (developed via hands-on work from labs, experimentation, and the use of instruments and materials). When shifting to a remote learning environment, the techniques for educating students on the underlying principles of a subject are much easier to transfer successfully than are the more practical hands-on aspects.

To help fill this gap, we have identified some resources that may be used to provide students at the high school or college level with practical hands-on projects that they can perform which will help them supplement their education in STEM subjects.

The resources below contain a mix of different potential project ideas, many of which can be performed from home with a minimal need to purchase special suppliers or materials. Other projects from the resources below, especially those at the college level, will likely require students to make some investment in materials, components, and equipment that would not usually be found in the typical household. These are higher level projects that normally would be accomplished in a college lab class, possibly in a collaborative group setting, under the guidance of an instructor or advisor.