Manufacturers are kind of a big deal. Take a look around, and you’ll notice that the products, supplies, equipment, and tools they produce are everywhere. Lately, conversations about manufacturing are shifting, as the industry itself is evolving to meet new expectations and demands. In order to gain some insider perspective, we reached out to our industry contacts and association partners. Holly at Jatco Machine &Tool Company, Inc., NTMA member and PartnerShip customer, was generous enough to provide some expert insight.

• What specific shipping challenges do manufacturers face? What do they do to combat those issues?
  Holly: Some specific shipping challenges would be the balance between cost and delivery times, items arriving on time and undamaged, difficulty of creating/placing shipment. Some things we do to combat those issues are utilizing PartnerShip and packaging our items up ridiculously well. Partnership offers us savings by combining shipments, and they make it so easy to create a shipment. They literally do it all for you!

• What is the most important factor related to shipping for manufacturers and why?
  Holly: It’s hard to choose one. Obviously, safety goes without saying and should just be a standard for everyone. Other than that, it would be delivery times. Sending an item to a subcontractor can become a process. Two days to ship freight, maybe two or three days for them to do the work, and then another two days back is a full 7 days eating into our deadline. We’d like to get freight to a subcontractor overnight and vice versa. And honestly, two days is not terrible!

• How can PartnerShip make life easier for manufacturing businesses? 
  Holly: I think that they really do all that they can to be efficient and easy to work with. I enjoy calling and having someone fill everything out correctly, search for rates, and give me the best options.

• What do we, and others in the industry, need to know about manufacturers and how to best address their shipping needs?
  Holly: We have one-two shipments with Partnership per month. I’m sure others have more or varying amounts. It’s nice to know that we can receive great rates based on merely being a partner verses number of times we ship. We are a small business doing big things all over the country. Shipping will always be a part of that. Partnership makes that aspect as easy as possible.

Holly brought up some important points about the distinct challenges that many manufacturers face, like damage concerns and on-time freight delivery. If these are some key concerns you share,  here are some resources that can help you strategize and ship your loads successfully.

• Key Considerations for Shipping High-Value, High-Risk Freight
• 5 Foolproof Ways to Take on Manufacturing Shipping Challenges
• Types of LTL Carriers and When You Need Them
• 4 Ways Consolidating Your Freight Will Make Your Life Easier
• 5 Freight Broker Benefits You Can’t Afford to Pass Up

At PartnerShip, we celebrate manufacturers as an industrious, pivotal sector of our economy. Through constant growth and adaptation, manufacturing businesses continue to be inspiring, and we are excited to help your businesses play such a cutting-edge part of the future. If you’re interested in learning how PartnerShip can help you and your manufacturing business ship smarter, contact our team.

PartnerShip is proud to support and celebrate MFG Day 2019!

The first Friday in October, MFG Day was created to show the reality of modern manufacturing and celebrate the large role manufacturing plays in the US economy. Thousands of companies and educational institutions across the country open their doors to students, parents, teachers and community leaders to connect with America’s future creators to create an interest in a career in manufacturing.

PartnerShip is proud to work with many organizations that support and promote manufacturing, such as NTMA, MAPP, PMPA, Manufacturing Works, and many more.

Today’s manufacturing jobs are high-skill and high-tech, but there is still a skilled labor shortage in the manufacturing sector. MFG Day is an opportunity for people, especially students, to learn what modern manufacturing really looks like and to discover that manufacturing offers high-quality and high-paying jobs and career choices. Consider these statistics:

• There are 12.8 million manufacturing workers in the United States. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• In 2017, the average manufacturing worker in the United States earned $84,832 annually, including pay and benefits. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• 4.6 million manufacturing jobs will be needed over the next decade. (Source: Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute)
• Manufacturers in the United States perform 64 percent of all private-sector R&D in the nation, driving more innovation than any other sector. (Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis)

Last year, 275,000 people attended more than 3,000 MFG Day events.

PartnerShip helps hundreds of manufacturers ship smarter and we’re proud to spread the word about the importance of manufacturing. If you’re a manufacturer that wants to work with a shipping partner that understands your business, contact PartnerShip for a quote on your next shipment!

PartnerShip is proud to help celebrate Manufacturing Day 2018.

MFG Day was started in 2012 to acknowledge the large role manufacturing plays in the US economy and to help inspire the next generation of engineers and manufacturers. Its main purpose is to educate and inform students, teachers, and community leaders about how important manufacturing is to their local community and their local economy. PartnerShip is proud to partner with many organizations that support and promote manufacturing, such as NTMA, MAPP, PMPA, Manufacturing Works, and many others!

There is an increasing skilled labor shortage in the manufacturing sector, and MFG Day gives manufacturers an opportunity to open their doors and correct the misperception that manufacturing involves repetitive, unskilled tasks that happen in dark, dirty factories; it’s an opportunity to show people what modern manufacturing really looks like. Manufacturing offers high-quality jobs and career choices. Consider these statistics:

• US manufacturing is the 9th largest economy in the world. (Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis)
• Manufacturing supports 18.5 million jobs in the United States. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• Manufacturing comprises nearly 12% of the GDP of the US. (Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis)
  
• In 2017, the average manufacturing worker in the United States earned $84,832 annually, including pay and benefits. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)
  
• Over the next decade, nearly 3½ million manufacturing jobs will likely be needed. (Source: Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute) 

PartnerShip recently exhibited at NBAA2015 in Las Vegas. Held November 17^th through the 19^th, NBAA’s Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition showcased the industry’s vitality and relevance. The show featured over 1,100 exhibitors, taking up 2/3rds of the Las Vegas Convention Center and part of the Henderson Executive Airport. The more than 27,000 attendees enjoyed educational and networking sessions, special guests (including Dirks Bentley and Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger), product announcements, indoor and outdoor static displays, and much more!

As the company that manages the NBAA Shipping Program, PartnerShip always looks forward to this show as a way to connect with members, see what’s happening in the industry, and save members money on shipping. PartnerShip set up shop right next to the Innovation Zone, one of the most exciting parts of the show, which featured sessions on everything from the future of planes and flying, to flight deck connectivity issues to developments in "detect and avoid" technology for unmanned aircraft systems. In that space, we provided information on the shipping program, enrolled members in the program, and collected information from attendees to win a FedEx Model Plane! We had close to 200 entries for the plane but there can only be one winner….congratulations to Bruce from Golf Cart Connection! Thank you to everyone who entered and better luck next year at NBAA2016!

NBAA has put together some great recap information on the conference, including a press release that details all of the show highlights. We picked out one to share in this post – the NBAA2015 Video Minute below which provides a great overview of the sights and sounds of the show.

PartnerShip will be exhibiting at the ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition this year in Detroit, Michigan on August 8^th-11^th. As a partner to over 140 associations, the ASAE Annual Meeting & Exhibition is a date that is circled on our calendars every year. It’s a great chance to spread the word about a PartnerShip managed Shipping Program as a valuable member benefit, as well as see some current association partners.

From an association standpoint, there are many reasons to attend the ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition year after year. For some, it’s the 120+ education sessions designed to generate ideas and provoke new thinking. For others, it’s access to fabulous parties and networking opportunities with over 5,000 colleagues from around the country.

We can vouch for the value of this show and encourage all association professionals to make their way up to Detroit for this once-a-year opportunity.We'll be in booth #233, so stop by and say hello!

Click here to register for the event and then visit the Schedule-at-a-Glace for information on show activities. If you need more convincing, watch the short ASAE video below with testimonials from association executives and the value they found at the ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition.

At PartnerShip, we love our association partners. They are dedicated to providing their members with valuable programs and services, and they work hard to support their industries. That’s why we’re passionate about supporting them. We were born from an association (NACS) and we know how important it is to help members be successful.

We’ve been hitting all the right notes with one of our most committed association partners, NAMM, for 17 years and its shipping program continues to be one of our strongest. NAMM is the non-profit association for the global music products industry and they actively promote the pleasures and benefits of making music.

Controlling shipping costs has become a very important factor in maintaining profitability in the music products industry, making the relationship between PartnerShip and NAMM very valuable to members. PartnerShip provides NAMM members with significant discounts on their shipping while also providing the association with marketing support to help promote the program. By taking advantage of our marketing services NAMM sees growth in its program and an increase in its royalties – it’s a win-win. This kind of harmony between NAMM and PartnerShip is the key to a successful member program.

For a more in-depth look at how we fine-tuned the NAMM Shipping Program, you can download the full case study here. If you’re an association leader and would like to learn more about our programs, click here.

The Work Truck Show, presented by the National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA), is the must-attend event for the work truck industry. As in years past, the 2015 show in Indianapolis was buzzing with new products, innovative exhibitors, and of course, trucks. The Indianapolis Convention Center was flooded with a record number of attendees that were looking for the latest products and industry trends to keep their businesses hitting on all cylinders.

Among other highlights, attendees of the Work Truck Show 2015 enjoyed industry focused training courses, access to technical engineering representatives, and NTEA’s President’s Breakfast where Tony Dungy was the keynote speaker. The show also has growing green initiatives to address the demand for advanced vehicle technologies and fuels. The Green Truck Summit, held in conjunction with the Work Truck Show, was a day-and-a-half event for attendees and offered strategies and solutions for practical deployment and application of green technologies for the industry.

As the endorsed shipping provider of NTEA, we were exhibiting in the NTEA booth and sharing information about the shipping savings available to all NTEA members. We’re always excited for the NTEA Work Truck Show as it provides great opportunities to stay up to date on the industry happenings and produces valuable interaction with our customers. We had a chance to snap some pictures while at the show and invite you to scroll through the album below!

The 2015 Winter Fancy Food Show, held in San Francisco, has come and gone and our very own Harry Centa was in attendance. Harry is a Senior Program Manager at PartnerShip and has become a staple at both the Winter and Summer Fancy Food Shows presented by the Specialty Food Association.

"This show is always a great opportunity for exhibitors to showcase their products and for the retailers, restaurateurs, and distributors that attend to bring new, exciting, and unique items and ideas to their businesses," said Harry. "It's also an invaluable opportunity for PartnerShip to showcase its money-saving member benefit, the Specialty Food Association Shipping Program, which is available to all Specialty Food Association members."

As the west coast's largest specialty food and beverage event, highlights include: 14,000 exhibitors from 35 countries, 19,000+ industry professionals, and 30 emerging food entrepreneurs. The show also features new product showcases, 15+ educational seminars, and custom matchmaking for buyers and suppliers. These are just a few of the great opportunities offered by the Specialty Food Association through this show.

In addition to the above highlights, Harry also collected submissions for a drawing for a $100 Visa reward card. Congratulations to our lucky winner — Jared at Aloha from Oregon! 

Don't worry if you missed out on the winter show, as the Fancy Food Show comes not once, but twice a year in the summer and winter. 

"The Winter and Summer Fancy Food Shows are dates that are always circled on my calendar," Harry added. "The show always entertains, informs, and produces quality customer interaction year in and year out for PartnerShip....not to mention all the great food!"

Check out some of Harry's pictures from the event in the slideshow below.

Our very own Harry Centa, senior program manager for PartnerShip, had the pleasure of attending Summer NAMM 2014 in Nashville earlier this month. NAMM (one of over 120 associations that endorses PartnerShip for shipping services) supports businesses in the music products industry, and this annual show attracts some of the most fascinating and talented people around.

One of the biggest highlights of the show was the Top 100 Dealers Awards, which recognizes the industry's very best music product retailers and shares their stores' strategies for success. The ��Dealer of the Year' and eight —best of' category winners are chosen from among NAMM's Top 100 Dealers, named earlier this year. Congratulations to The Candyman Strings & Things of Santa Fe, New Mexico for winning the top award of —Dealer of the Year.'

This year's Summer NAMM also proved to be another successful show for PartnerShip! It was a great opportunity for Harry to connect with NAMM members and educate them on the services and discounts available to them through PartnerShip. The NAMM Shipping Program provides members with discounts on their inbound and outbound, small and big package shipping, one of the many valuable benefits offered through the association. Harry also collected submissions for a drawing for a $100 Visa reward card. Congratulations to our lucky winner — Christie at Hell Creek Music & More!

Thank you to NAMM and all of the Summer NAMM attendees for helping us make it BIG in Nashville this year! Check out the slideshow below to see pictures from the show.

PartnerShip, as in years past, exhibited again at this year's Summer Fancy Food Show - North America's Largest Specialty Food & Beverage Event. The event was held in New York City from June 29^th - July 1^st and featured 180,000 products including confections, cheese, coffee, snacks, spices, ethnic, natural, organic and more. The show also boasts 2,400 exhibitors from 80 countries & regions.

Highlights from the show included:

• The 2014 sofi Awards Ceremony — a red carpet awards ceremony acknowledging the best innovations and tastes of the past year. Check out who took home the gold this year.
• Business Builders — a free "match-making" program for exhibitors and attendees
• Numerous educational programs — ranging from —The Business of Specialty Foods to —The State of the Specialty Food Industry 2014'
• Exhibitor Showcases — the over 2,000 exhibitors always bring new, innovative products that make this show what it is

Since PartnerShip is the endorsed company that manages the Specialty Food Association Shipping Program, is an important relationship-building event for us. Harry Centa, senior program manger for PartnerShip, attended the show to spread the good word about the PartnerShip services and discounts available to SFA members for small package and freight shipping. Harry also had a chance to take a few great pictures at the show that capture the sights, energy, and fun that this show offers year in and year out. See our Flickr slide show below for the highlights.

*The winner will also be notified directly.