Scaling Without Bottlenecks: OEMs Need Growth-Ready Strategies

For original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), growth can happen fast—and bring unexpected challenges and opportunities. As product demand rises or new market opportunities emerge, the ability to scale production while avoiding bottlenecks, maintaining quality, and meeting delivery deadlines becomes a critical competitive advantage.

This was exemplified during the pandemic, when certain sectors experienced remarkable demand increases. For example, with travel restrictions and a renewed interest in outdoor activities, the recreational boating industry saw unprecedented demand, leading to U.S. boat sales reaching a 13-year high in 2020. Similarly, the home fitness equipment and home office furniture sectors experienced rapid growth as people adapted to new lifestyles and sought ways to improve their homes. These surges highlighted the challenges manufacturers face: capacity constraints, supply chain disruptions, and the need for rapid scalability.

Common Solutions for Demand Surges

When manufacturers face sudden spikes in demand, implementing strategic solutions swiftly can help manage the pressure and sustain production levels. One strategy that may benefit OEMs is increasing automation within the production process when possible. Automating repetitive tasks can significantly enhance efficiency, speed up production and reduce labor costs—allowing manufacturers to meet higher demands without compromising on quality.

Collecting better data to predict market trends is another approach. By leveraging advanced data analytics, business intelligence, and AI, manufacturers can gain insights into consumer behavior, anticipate demand changes and adjust production schedules accordingly. This proactive approach enables companies to be more agile and responsive, reducing the risk of supply shortages or overproduction.

Finally, diversifying supplier bases is an essential strategy for OEMs seeking to ensure a more resilient supply chain. Relying on a single supplier can lead to bottlenecks, especially during high-demand periods. By developing relationships with multiple suppliers, manufacturers can secure alternative sources for materials and components, minimizing risks associated with supply disruptions.

New Berlin Plastics as a Manufacturing Solutions Provider

For OEMs, having a range of growth-ready strategies at hand is critical. As a domestic supplier for plastic components and light assembly, New Berlin Plastics has built a foundation of people, processes, and technology to help OEMs ramp up production, bolster supply networks, protect product quality, and reduce costly delays.

Broad Press Range to Handle Demand

This flexibility allows us to scale up operations without compromising quality or lead time. Whether a project requires small, precise components or larger, more complex parts, our comprehensive range of presses can handle varied production needs, distributing the workload evenly and preventing any single press or tonnage class from becoming a bottleneck. This adaptability ensures that manufacturers can quickly respond to customer requirements, maintaining high efficiency and on-time delivery—even during periods of increased demand.

Proprietary Process for Streamlined Communication and Collaboration

When growth demands the ability to bring new products to market, New Berlin Plastics’ LaunchLogic system is an innovative approach designed to streamline and enhance the process of kicking off new plastic injection molding projects. By leveraging advanced technology and a thorough project management framework, LaunchLogic aims to reduce bottlenecks and unexpected challenges from concept to production, ensuring a smooth and efficient transition at every stage. This system provides OEMs with a structured, transparent process that includes detailed planning, design verification, and real-time updates, reducing the risk of delays and improving product quality. LaunchLogic’s proactive problem-solving capabilities also allow for quick issue resolution, further accelerating the project timelines and removing potential headaches for customers.

Expanded Facility, Expanded Capacity

More space means more room for growth. New Berlin Plastics’ recent expansion strengthens our ability to maintain a high level of service as we grow. The project added over 100,000 square feet of space for both manufacturing and warehousing operations. This allows us to expand our manufacturing capacity as we continue to grow with new and existing customers. By investing in both infrastructure and technology, New Berlin Plastics can better allocate resources, streamline workflows, and maintain consistent quality and on-time delivery—even as customer demand grows.

When Demand Surges, New Berlin Plastics Meets the Moment

For OEMs, selecting an injection molding partner as a manufacturing solutions provider is about more than technical capability—it’s about confidence. When your supplier is prepared to scale with you, you can pursue growth opportunities without fear of supply chain strain or missed deadlines. At New Berlin Plastics, our combination of a diverse press fleet, advanced project management, and recent facility investments positions us as a true growth-ready partner. As your production needs evolve, we have the space, systems, and expertise to evolve right alongside you. And in over 50 years of business, we’ve never caused a customer to halt production. If you want to be sure your business can scale at the rate of opportunity, we encourage you to reach out today.