Attendees reported that the Fair dramatically accelerated the process of determining whether a particular buyer or supplier had the potential to turn into a viable long term manufacturing partner.

“It was very beneficial for us to be able to see so many suppliers in one day,” said Charles Wittum, Jr., VP of Supply Chain & Materials at Heil Trailer International (Chattanooga, TN). “Being able to quickly establish that face-to-face interaction lets both sides immediately get a good sense of whether there is a potential fit there or not.  We will be following up with several promising suppliers we met at the show who have the capabilities we’ve been looking for.”

Suppliers were also enthusiastic in their assessment.   Christopher Carey, Director New Business Development at Stewart EFI, a high-volume stamper and deep drawer in Thomaston CT, said “we were able to sit down with two buyers in particular that were target accounts for us, and we were able to spend some quality time discussing our capabilities and how they fit with their needs.”

Ron Jech from Apollo Manufacturing, a precision machine shop in Willoughby, OH, said “having a list beforehand of what processes each buyer was looking for really helped.   We were able to zero in on the buyers with the most potential for us, and it was time well spent.  Aerospace and medical are two specialty areas for us, so we’re looking to access potential customers nationally, and here we were able to get in front of as many buyers in a day as we would normally be able to see in a month.”

First Index CEO John Jung noted that the Purchasing Fair, like every service First Index provides, was in direct response to overwhelming demand from both buyers and suppliers in the manufacturing industry.

“The Purchasing Fair is another example of how First Index facilitates collaboration between suppliers and buyers in the manufacturing industry” said Mr. Jung.  “We are committed to providing that community with a complete range of tools for doing that, and providing a forum where buyers and suppliers can sit down across a table and jumpstart the process of establishing profitable new relationships, is just one way we are helping both realize lasting value from partnering with First Index.”

About First Index

First Index has been helping buyers and suppliers of custom-made parts and assemblies since 1992, and has steadily grown into the leading online sourcing service and marketplace of its kind world-wide. Thousands of buyers of manufactured parts around the world use the First Index sourcing platform to create and distribute thousands of RFQs annually and to find the right suppliers from First Index’s growing network of suppliers looking to establish new business relationships.  First Index continues to strengthen its position as the world leader in facilitating commerce in the manufacturing industry by providing an unmatched combination of technology, information and knowledgeable services to buyers and suppliers, enabling both to gain a sustainable competitive edge.   To find out more about First Index, please visit www.firstindex.com, email info@firstindex.com,  or call Peter Cook at 888-535-8583 x102.