“THOSE SYSTEMIC PROBLEMS IN THE SUPPLY CHAINS, THIS HAS BEEN BUILDING FOR YEARS,” SAID STEVE DOWSE, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER FOR INTERNATIONAL SOLUTIONS AT FOURKITES. “THE PANDEMIC HAS REALLY JUST HIGHLIGHTED THE FRAGILITY OF OUR SUPPLY CHAINS.”
The global supply chain crisis is behind everything from out-of-stock plastic to-go cups at your local coffee shop to the astronomical lead times on a new washing machine. Consumer demand continues to skyrocket, yet the future of supply chain disruptions remains unclear at best.
Container ships remain piled up at ports as labor shortages continue to prevail. Two years into a pandemic that has exacerbated long-time vulnerabilities and underlying supply chain issues, it may be time to stop asking when the state of things will “return to normal,” and instead start asking, “how do we make the best of our new normal?”
Bottlenecks in the global supply chain have left no stone unturned. At Western States, along with virtually all companies across every industry around the globe, production capacity has been affected significantly by coronavirus illnesses, lack of labor, and backlog due to material shortages.
Two years ago, organizations were forced to think quickly and creatively to employ short-term solutions to supply chain disruptions just to stay above water. Now, survival looks like reimagining best practices for the long haul and implementing changes that mitigate historic vulnerabilities and focus on robust risk management—standing the test of time in both the near and distant future.
Where We Came From, Where We’re Going
The Western States Machine Company (Western States) was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah, and incorporated April 11, 1917, through the inventiveness and entrepreneurial spirit of Eugene Roberts. Our company has built its success on three foundational principles: quality products, superior service, and building relationships. We’re proud of the trust we’ve established from over 100 years of intentional listening and innovation.
Today, by adapting and taking appropriate action to meet the needs of our customers, we hope that Western States can turn supply chain disruptions into meaningful change for the longevity of our business and customer relationships and alleviate some of the frustrations our customers are experiencing.
- Inventory: First and foremost, we are increasing our inventory to record levels to combat part shortages in our warehouse. We are working extremely hard with our suppliers to order parts with the longest lead times well in advance, to ensure they are in-house and in-stock when our customers need them.
- Communication: We will continue maintaining clear and open communication lines between us and our customers to ensure we’re listening to every need and relaying order status’ as early and often as possible.
- The New Normal: We are optimistic that we can rise to the occasion and face the post-pandemic, ‘new normal’ landscape of supply chain management head on, building on our supply chain resilience along the way.
As we persevere down our path of delivering quality products, superior service, and building strong relationships, we are endlessly grateful for our customers and suppliers who have stuck with us through unprecedented times. We look forward to paving the road ahead, listening and acting on valuable feedback, and continuing to lead and serve our industry.
Contact Western States Today
Western States is the leading Centrifuge Manufacturer for sugar processing, chem/pharma & botanicals. Whether you are looking to upgrade your G-8 to a G-16 LINC Batch Centrifugal, or you are interested in a new machine, contact us today.
