Hey Fellas- Glad this thread was started, I've been interested in locating just such a service. My hope would be to manufacture some bread and butter line of widgets that would be profitable enough to provide some base income between larger projects. I looked at MFG.com, didn't seem to be able to get pricing without registering and viewing available RFPs was limited. Also, I am not a machine shop just a decently equipped weldng shop- iron worker, hossfeld, bevelers, welders, plasma, bandsaw- the basics but no slip rolls, brake, shear, lathe, mill. Generally get that stuff outsourced if needed so for manufacturing it would require investment in equipment and/or the right bidding opportunities. Can any of you guys tell me the kind of bid packages you looked at in terms of specs, type of fabrication ect. and indicate what kind of equipment you keep in your shops to get it done? Also, have any of you looked into sharing the costs of MFG.com with another shop? When I googled it there was another site listed that offered a similar subscription that charged a 4% fee per bid won up to a 50K limit at which point the percentage was negotiated. 4% is a little steep, small as it is it would keep profits squeezed. I'm looking for any info you guys might share, trying to brainstorm a way to keep the business in business. If anyone know of other sources for bidding opps in fabrication I'd be glad to hear it. Thanks.
First off, Thanks for the replies. I appreciate it.
Secondly, I have seen and heard many of the same things that you told me. The tire kickers, the bids being awarded for less than materials, etc. One of the main issues for me is, no escape clause. Another thing, there no customers that I have found that have anything good to say about Mfg.com. Plus, competeing against foreign companies. Service Magic is another one I have researched and they are worse than Mfg.com as far as ratings. As was said before, Buyer Beware. I got some answers from a different group of people here. Ones that I can contact personally so I think I will try to shake up work the old fashioned way for a while.
Thanks, Chris
The majority of RFQs on MFG.com are for machine shop work . There are some fabrication jobs , stuff you can do with welder , saw , ironworker and drill press. There were enough RFQs for fabrication to keep me busy bidding but thats all I did was bid. In my opinion MFG.com is a big waste of time and $$$.
Hey Strother-
Sounds like you got burned, I hate that myself. Getting a similar shafting with my subscription to McGraw Hill Dodge Plan Center- took another years subscription in 2010 largely because they are the last of the plan centers with brick and mortar offices where I can review contract document in hard copy instead of relying on online plans and software I really dont like working with. In December they closed the plan center which was 3 miles from the house without warning leaving me the only option of driving 30 miles one way to the other plan center. Now the subscription is ready to terminate and I have no assurance from them that they won't close the last of their plan rooms anytime after I re-subscribe, so I bought a service they rescinded without any form of credit to my acount and the snotty worker at the plan room that's still open tells me " well the plan rooms are a bonus". I had to keep my temper when I told her I wasn't paying for a "bonus" I was paying for a service which isn't being provided. Imagine bringing all the parts of a fabrication to a customer and telling them "OH, you wanted these welded together as well? Oh, well that's gonna be extra". So I am looking at some other plan rooms- only online- but at least they allow me to pay quarterly- unlike McGraw Hill- so I can stretch out the costs when necessary. I'd be interested in knowing the costs for MFG .com if you wanted to let me know. Feel free to PM me if you want to keep it confidential. What kind of work do you concentrate on? I am interested in discussing pricing and business strategies with any fabricators willing to engage. Naturally, the farther afield your operation is, the less likely we would be in competition with each other which might be advantageous. I am in the Seattle WA area and concentrate on competitively bid public works projects, mostly architectural and light structural with the occasional industrial and fuel line application coming through from a short list of privately bid General Contractors.
I don't remember exactly what it cost , it was about 3 or 4 yrs ago but I think I was $6000 a yr. for all RFQs and $3000.00 for fabrication RFQs which also included repair and rework jobs. I did the $3000 kinda felt stupid after it was all said and done but at the time I had 2 good welders and a helper working for me and I was trying to keep a steady flow of work .
There's a website that post planholders list for const. jobs for free. I'll try to post a link if I can figure out how. I've used it some to find out what work is going on near me and if anybody I 've worked for before has any work they might be able to use me for .
As for the type work I concentrate on?..... Anything that pays the bills LOL!. I do alot of heavy equipment repair, some commercial handrails , misc steel and light stuctural steel and a little bit of DOT work . I would be glad to discuss pricing with you I'm in Georgia , I don't know how that would compare to Washington.
Strother-
Yeah, that pricing is way out of line with reality. Especisially if they don't bill quarterly. I might have some resources/ideas that would provide leads for you- it's bid work, public work, but it's mostly free. A guy can expand his coverage with paid subscription but get his foot in the door at no expense. Sounds like we're in the same business- any honest dollar I can make. I'd prefer this conversation was private. Email me- from my site profile- let's jaw.
They bill monthly and $6,000.00 per year is what I was recently told for full access to everything. If you want out, you can get out, just as soon as you pay the whole $6,000.00. If it doesn't work out for you, well, "We don't gaurantee any RFQ's will be awarded to you, just the chance for you to bid on them." I wouldn't mind paying a fee for somebody to get me some good leads, but $500.00 per month is a lot out of line.
Chris
Forum
