ZeeVee Inc. and Suntron Corporation Bring Manufacturing Jobs Back to the USA
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Successful Partnership Shifts Video Equipment Manufacturing to Methuen, MA
Suntron Corporation, a leader in integrated electronics manufacturing systems (EMS) and embedded computing solutions, announces that ZeeVee Inc., a developer of high definition video distribution products, has recently moved its product manufacturing to Suntron's Methuen, MA facility from China.
The move has greatly increased ZeeVee's ability to serve its customers quickly. "With Suntron, we can test parameters and correlations in the morning, and get our answers by the afternoon," explained Vic Odryna, co-founder and CEO of ZeeVee. "When you are working with partners halfway across the world, this level of collaboration is just not possible."
Before making the move, Suntron and ZeeVee evaluated all the costs involved in the total cost of ownership (TCO), instead of simply unit manufacturing costs. Such costs include the so-called soft costs, like cash cycle times, true shipping costs, insurance, lack of flexibility, turn-around time, fuel surcharges, custom broker fees, and travel/support costs. Based on these factors, manufacturing domestically was deemed more cost effective than manufacturing in China.
Both Suntron and ZeeVee are growing rapidly as a result of the new partnership. Suntron has added 20 new employees to its Methuen staff, a welcome addition in a community that lost its share of manufacturing jobs during the recession. ZeeVee has more than doubled its business every year, and with this new improvement in time to market, the signs suggest they'll continue to do well.
Collaborations like this have been vital to the recovery of the Massachusetts manufacturing sector. Since November 2011, Massachusetts has slowly regained only 700 manufacturing jobs, though the state is expected to continue an upward employment trajectory through at least the summer of 2012. It is therefore relevant now, more than ever, that companies consider the benefits of "reshoring" for both themselves and the community. Jon Saunders, Suntron's Methuen plant manager, summarized the benefits of a mid-size, more flexible U.S. manufacturer: "We are small enough to care about the project and offer flexible services, while large enough to make a difference."
When asked if the successes of ZeeVee's onshoring could be replicated, Suntron president and CEO Ed Wheeler had this to say: "If your overseas manufacturing isn't working as well as you hoped it would, try working with a U.S. manufacturer like Suntron. It can improve cost, quality and other logistics that will allow you to work better as a company."
For more information read the full article.
About Suntron Corporation:
Suntron delivers complete manufacturing services and solutions for high reliability products used in safety and mission critical, and productivity and monitoring devices for the aerospace and defense, medical, industrial, networking and telecommunications, and semiconductor capital equipment markets. Suntron provides engineering services, printed circuit card assembly, box build, large scale and complex system integration, commercial off the shelf (COTS) technology development, embedded computing solutions, and testing services. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Suntron operates several full-service manufacturing and quick-turnaround facilities in North America. For more information about Suntron capabilities: www.suntroncorp.com
About ZeeVee:
ZeeVee makes video broadcast technology available for commercial deployment throughout campus facilities. Their HD/SD encoders and RF modulators are deployed in thousands of installations such as Corporate Centers, Sports Bars, Academia, Assisted Living, Stadiums, Casinos, Hospitals, Houses of Worship, Hotels, Fitness Centers, Digital Signage and more. For more information about their capabilities, visit www.zeevee.com
