Rafael Rodriguez

China’s manufacturing scene isn’t just big – it’s layered and complex.   When you look across core industrial categories, some areas have deep supplier options, others are more concentrated. That mix has a direct impact on how well your sourcing strategy actually works.   On Mesh Works Portal, buyers don’t just see suppliers. They see concentration, capability clusters, and sourcing leverage.   Because in procurement, visibility creates advantage.   Explore the supplier network and discover structured sourcing insights on the Mesh Works portal: https://lnkd.in/dagZRmiW #MeshWorks #StrategicSourcing #ChinaManufacturing #SupplyChainIntelligence #ProcurementLeaders #B2BManufacturing #SupplierNetwork #GlobalSourcing

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𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 For years, freight was treated as a secondary cost—important, but rarely strategic. That has changed. Today, transportation costs are one of the most influential forces reshaping the rigid packaging market. With persistent fuel volatility, carrier rate pressure, and tight capacity, freight is no longer just a line item. It’s influencing pricing models, sourcing decisions, supplier selection, and even packaging design. 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗜𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 Rigid packaging is freight-intensive. Bottles, jars, containers, and closures move a lot of air and weight relative to their unit value. As diesel prices and trucking rates rise, the cost to move these products often increases faster than other inputs. For many suppliers and customers, freight now represents a meaningful percentage of total delivered cost. 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 Higher freight costs are driving tougher, more analytical conversations:   • Suppliers are restructuring pricing or introducing surcharges to protect margins.   • Customers are evaluating total landed cost—not just unit price.   • Smaller and regional converters feel disproportionate pressure without national freight leverage. 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 ���𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 As freight costs rise, local and regional sourcing is gaining momentum. Procurement teams increasingly favor suppliers with:   • Regional manufacturing footprints   • Shorter delivery lanes   • Lower logistics exposure In many cases, a higher unit price is offset by a lower delivered cost. 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆, 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, & 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗘𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 Freight volatility is influencing inventory strategy, order patterns, and load optimization. Companies are consolidating shipments, adjusting safety stock, and rethinking pallet configurations to improve efficiency. Lightweighting, cube optimization, and pallet efficiency are now strategic priorities. Even small reductions in weight or volume can create meaningful savings at scale. 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗜𝘀 𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 Larger manufacturers can negotiate national carrier contracts, leverage fleet assets, and optimize routing across multiple plants. Smaller suppliers must compete through specialization, proximity, or operational excellence. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲 Rising freight costs are not a temporary disruption—they are a structural force in rigid packaging. They’re influencing:   • Who customers buy from   • Where packaging is produced   • How products are designed   • How pricing is structured In today’s market, it’s no longer just about what it costs to make a container—it’s about what it costs to deliver it.

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Supply chain + lead time angle If you are trying to shorten lead times, take a hard look at your finishing steps. Outsourcing passivation adds quoting delays, shipping time, and extra handling risk. It also adds another place where things can slip. At Mountain Manufacturing, we keep passivation in-house so we can move faster and keep accountability under one roof. #SupplyChain #LeadTime #Passivation #Manufacturing

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Logistics managers and warehouse heads looking to reduce damage. Headline: Is your product shifting during transit? 🚛📉 Generic cardboard separators crush under pressure and absorb moisture, leading to unstable stacks and damaged goods. Switch to PP Corrugated Separators for a rigid, reliable solution. Why the "Ply" matters for Separators: 🛡️ 3-Ply Sheets: The "Standard" for lightweight parts and retail display. Perfect for glass bottle dividers and lightweight electronic components. 🏗️ 5-Ply Sheets: The "Heavy-Duty" choice for industrial stacking. Ideal for automotive parts and high-load palletizing where maximum compression strength is required. The Result: ✅ Zero friction damage between layers. ✅ Perfect load distribution (no more tilting pallets!). ✅ 100% reusable—wash them, dry them, and reuse them 50+ times. #SupplyChain #MaterialHandling #PPCorrugated #WarehouseSafety #PackagingInnovation

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Our portfolio company Leverage AI is launching a new podcast for supply chain professionals! Episode 1 of the "Leveraged Supply Chains" podcast features Josh Cox discussing how distributors can drive better supplier performance. We love seeing Leverage sharing industry knowledge and elevating the conversation in distribution and procurement. If you're in supply chain, this is one to follow. http://bit.ly/41Zqur4

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OTIF rarely fails when a shipment is late. It fails weeks earlier. In direct materials, unclear or missing supplier commitments turn execution reactive. Buyers chase confirmations. Planners escalate. Logistics searches for alternatives. OTIF becomes a lagging KPI instead of a controllable process. This whitepaper shows how manufacturers replace commitment ambiguity with structured confirmation standards, enforceable SLAs, and exception-based execution control. Learn how to standardize supplier commitments, govern confirmation quality, and influence OTIF performance at the source. 👉 Download the whitepaper: https://lnkd.in/ddnyt6eQ #SupplyOn #OTIF

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In this article from 2022, Rachel shared her views on managing inventory during times of economic uncertainty. While the post-Covid supply chain challenges have lifted, we are facing new constraints and uncertainties. Thoughtful inventory management is just as important now as it was then. https://lnkd.in/gQauNBNX

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As manufacturing volume increases, small costing inaccuracies become expensive. When labor, material, and overhead are estimated instead of tracked, pricing decisions turn reactive. Margins look healthy until reality catches up, often too late to adjust. According to Elliott Clark Consulting, ERP-based costing gives manufacturers confidence that pricing and margin decisions are based on actual production data, not after-the-fact reconciliation. With Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, costing stays aligned with shop floor activity and financials. That alignment becomes essential as leadership relies more heavily on data to guide growth. #Manufacturing #BusinessCentral

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“Every supplier is not a statistic. It's a particular story." - RENK America's CEO, Ian Pain, on building resilient supply chains through relationships, not just data. Watch the full panel here: https://lnkd.in/gt-5CZeS

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