business backgrounder | economy
From Just-In-Time to Get It While You Can
Washington ’ s family manufacturing firms adapt to supply chain challenges .
Andrew Lenderman
Many Washington manufacturers face major supply chain challenges . Some parts are hard to find , and prices have gone up dramatically for others . Shipping is a challenge as well . This underscores the importance of policies that support workforce development and investments in infrastructure .
At A Glance
Shipping delays and a scarcity of parts are causing delays for some Washington manufacturers .
Employers are working together to share tips and information in some cases .
Beyond the shortages , shipping costs are rising as well .
The Twinstar Hay Rake is a flagship product of Northstar Attachments in Yakima . This hightech implement is used for commercial hay farming all over the world .
But this Washington family manufacturer is having a hard time finding the parts to complete the hay rake . Dave Rankin , CEO of parent company Rankin Equipment Co ., needs hydraulic motors and tine bars to finish production .
This means the product will go through the assembly line at the company ’ s Yakima facility , and then be parked outside while Rankin waits for parts to arrive . When the parts arrive — maybe this year , maybe not — the equipment will go through the assembly line again to be finished . This of course increases labor and overhead costs .
“ Business is strong ,” said Rankin , co-chair of AWB ’ s Manufacturing Committee . “ But it is difficult to get products on a timely basis . Most of the lead times from the vast majority of our vendors have extended out . And some of the lead times are extremely long .” He ’ s waited nearly a year for some implements and attachments to arrive . America ’ s supply chain , once the focus of highly specialized professionals in logistics , shipping , trucking and ports management , is now a common story on the nightly news where we ’ re told of shortages in everything from garage doors , freezers and affordable used cars to Nike shoes and the big orange pylons that mark endzones in a football game .
To learn more and get involved , contact AWB ’ s Mike Ennis at MikeE @ awb . org .
winter 2022 37