Kozak told PlasticsToday that he started Sierra Manufacturing Services (SMS) to work with local (Nevada and Northern California) captive manufacturing companies that have excess capacity or unique capabilities and need access to other markets or services. "Additionally, many companies look for resources that can help them test new products or processes, absorb short-term capacity issues or provide complimentary expertise when quoting new jobs for existing or expanding customer needs," he explained. SMS acts as a matchmaker, since many captive plastics processing organizations are focused on just their market niches and existing supply base. "They are not likely to be aware of other captive manufactures that may provide excellent supply chain resources," he notes.
One of his first clients is Impact International Inc. (Carson, City, NV), a global supplier of restaurant menu systems (for example, the vacuum formed menu boards) and point-of-purchase promotional displays. This is a new initiative for Impact. "(Impact's) prior business was all captive," notes Kozak. Impact has four injection molding machines and two vacuum formers.
Josh Thomaselli, the company's president, explained, "The goal of this new initiative is to fully utilize our manufacturing capabilities by providing manufacturing services in our areas of expertise including injection molding, powder coating, engineering design, metal fabrication, CNC routing and electronic assembly. We anticipate that our services will help other OEMs bridge their resources while seeking long-term solutions to their manufacturing needs. As an OEM, we understand the entire product life-cycle and can step in where others may not have the project scope that we at Impact possess."
Adds Kozak, "In today's manufacturing environment, more than ever, capacity utilization is key to overall success. Assets that are uniquely dedicated can find a new life if matched with a corresponding need. This approach can yield some interesting partnerships that can lead to long-term profitable relationships." —Matt Defosse
