Acme Alliance LLC, (Northbrook, Illinois) received the 2021 National Metalworking Reshoring Award in recognition of its success bringing manufacturing back home to the U.S. The award was presented at FABTECH on September 14.

The award is given annually in recognition of successful reshoring and honors companies that have effectively brought back to the U.S. products, parts or tooling made primarily by metal forming, fabricating, casting or machining, including additive manufacturing. Both OEMs and suppliers are eligible. 

Acme Alliance has a history of reshoring products for their customers. In one case, their reshoring fixed a quality problem and cut the customer’s inventory by 94%. According to data from the Reshoring Initiative, quality/rework/warranty and inventory rank in the top 10 influencing factors for reshoring, with quality ranked as number one.

Acme is a global manufacturer with two additional facilities in Brazil and China. By not shipping from those facilities to the U.S., Acme has proven that reshoring is not only possible, but it can be the right business choice. Acme also has a strong lean culture, a frequent key to reshoring. Acme’s success, repeated throughout the U.S. supply chain, will achieve the 5 million additional jobs targeted by the Reshoring Initiative and the Biden administration.

“In our business model we use our worldwide manufacturing footprint to produce and deliver products to the regions that they are assembled [and used] by our customers,” said Mauri Mendes, president of Acme Alliance-Lovejoy Industries. “We truly believe being close to our customer is the most important strategy. We are seeing many large organizations switching their strategy by reshoring their supply chain.”

Acme’s Reshoring Success 

Matt Thavis, Director of Value Stream Development, provided additional insight into Acme’s reshoring success: “Acme’s vision is all about lean shoring or reshoring. We offer a total cost of ownership business model that reduces client lead-time, inventories, freight cost and any amplification of quality concerns. We focus on total cost, not just the single part price of a given component. We seek to reduce the extended value stream, by offering standardized regional manufacturing for our global OEM clients.

“With production diecast facilities on three continents, Acme’s business model allows clients to source finished diecast components within the region of the world they assemble.  Our production proximity to clients reduces total cost by shortening the value stream.”

Acme’s enterprise strategy weathered the pandemic storm. Their regional sourcing approach endured against COVID-related supply chain disruptions. 

“If COVID has taught us anything, it’s that Acme’s business model (Regional Sourcing) makes sense,” Thavis said. “We don’t have a single die casting that was produced at Acme China or Pichinin Die Casting, Sao Paulo, Brazil in the country. Our business model seeks to optimize the value stream, reduce risk, and reduce total cost. Just like insurance. Our model is about partnership; we seek to be treated as an extension of our clients.” 
OEMs and contract manufacturers are encouraged to apply between November 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022 for the 2022 National Metalworking Reshoring Award. Interested companies can apply at: www.amtonline.org/article/reshoring-award.  Questions about the National Metalworking Reshoring Award can be directed to Harry Moser at 847-867-1144 or harry.moser@reshorenow.org.      CS

Click here to view the article in the November/December 2021 Casting Source digital edition.