Need help with ideas for product to produce

[Lescinsky]

Good day Fastline friends,

This is my first thread at inside territory. More about what I am doing You can read in this post:
Product sourcing from Eastern Europe

But in short I have steel structures production factory in Klaipeda, Lithuania where I am producing steel structures for industrial objects like sports halls, shops, warehouses etc. All that is doing well and fine most of the year (like at the moment production is full for 2 months in front), but every year it is repeating the same routine, that at the middle of December final orders are placed and usually produced till the end of January and February - April there is very low activity in this market. In these 3 months fixed costs are the same as all other months (even higher because of heating), which are not covered by filled production and margins.

All the projects produced now are custom made for specific project and orders, however this year I am trying to find the product to produce in this low season to sell after it is produced (B2B or B2C don`t know yet). I have been thinking about this for about 3-4 months, but not yet approach any good idea. I has been thinking about anchor bolts or some standard size shelters, maybe some railings or some outside gym equipment, but somehow I don`t think these are the products which will be easy to sell in the market.

Maybe You have ideas for the products which can be produced from the steel for some Home Depot type shops or some series type product needed for companies or customers? Maybe I am missing some possibilities You know already. I don`t think it is allowed to put links to external sites so mostly in the production it is possible to do everything from black steel which requires cutting, drilling, welding, milling, painting etc.

Will be very thankful for any ideas and we can discuss it here in next topics!

 

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[LittleWolfie]

3D printing maybe? What about stainless steel wedding rings? Maybe you should enter a Joint Venture with a retailer.

 

[Lescinsky]

3D printing maybe? What about stainless steel wedding rings? Maybe you should enter a Joint Venture with a retailer.

Hey,
Thank You for ideas!
3D printing will not be the solution as I have production with the equipment I want to use at the low season, not make new investment in equipment and actually work in different business.

 

[iizu]

Without knowing anything about your business:

It's weird that you are making stuff for the construction industry, and the peak season for that should be in the summer? So why aren't there any orders on spring-time?

But as for product ideas:

-Trailers, all sizes
-Agricultural equipment
-Excavator shovels and buckets
-Mining rods
-Conveyors of all sizes

Conveyors especially are easy to make and they are needed everywhere in the process industry.

 

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[MHP368]

Good day Fastline friends,

This is my first thread at inside territory. More about what I am doing You can read in this post:
Product sourcing from Eastern Europe

But in short I have steel structures production factory in Klaipeda, Lithuania where I am producing steel structures for industrial objects like sports halls, shops, warehouses etc. All that is doing well and fine most of the year (like at the moment production is full for 2 months in front), but every year it is repeating the same routine, that at the middle of December final orders are placed and usually produced till the end of January and February - April there is very low activity in this market. In these 3 months fixed costs are the same as all other months (even higher because of heating), which are not covered by filled production and margins.

All the projects produced now are custom made for specific project and orders, however this year I am trying to find the product to produce in this low season to sell after it is produced (B2B or B2C don`t know yet). I have been thinking about this for about 3-4 months, but not yet approach any good idea. I has been thinking about anchor bolts or some standard size shelters, maybe some railings or some outside gym equipment, but somehow I don`t think these are the products which will be easy to sell in the market.

Maybe You have ideas for the products which can be produced from the steel for some Home Depot type shops or some series type product needed for companies or customers? Maybe I am missing some possibilities You know already. I don`t think it is allowed to put links to external sites so mostly in the production it is possible to do everything from black steel which requires cutting, drilling, welding, milling, painting etc.

Will be very thankful for any ideas and we can discuss it here in next topics!

Shouldnt the market be telling you this not random strangers who dont live anywhere near eastern europe?

I mean , im happy to shoot from the hip , do people buy toolsheds for homes or are they priced out? , maybe a line of toolboxes? (The big ones on wheels)

Airplane hangers?

Honestly though you should be focused on solving some frustration or problem , we could give you ideas that sound good but the people you need to be asking are people with a problem solved by steel implements of some sort.

 

[LittleWolfie]

Hey,
Thank You for ideas!
3D printing will not be the solution as I have production with the equipment I want to use at the low season, not make new investment in equipment and actually work in different business.

I was thinking you could sell the feedstock to 3D printing companies. I'm not sure how different it is though.

Maybe export? That require a investment though.

 

[LittleWolfie]

Without knowing anything about your business:

So why aren't there any orders on spring-time?
.

My gut guess is that it is too do with the climate and being a Baltic, op's country is far too cold.

 

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[mikey3times]

Bike racks. Bike shelters. You’d probably need the ability to galvanize.

We can’t find a double-stacker bike rack that is sturdy, safe, and easy to use. They all have something that doesn’t quite work.

Or develop a modular line of your custom shelters. They would be cheaper and “off the shelf”. Are you turning away customers who don’t need a custom solution? What do they want?

What about serving as a manufacturer for some other business that has a peak during your slow times? That way they can offload some of their manufacturing to you when they are overwhelmed. Maybe their slow time is your busy time and you could form a solid partnership.

 

[Lescinsky]

Bike racks. Bike shelters. You’d probably need the ability to galvanize.

We can’t find a double-stacker bike rack that is sturdy, safe, and easy to use. They all have something that doesn’t quite work.

Or develop a modular line of your custom shelters. They would be cheaper and “off the shelf”. Are you turning away customers who don’t need a custom solution? What do they want?

What about serving as a manufacturer for some other business that has a peak during your slow times? That way they can offload some of their manufacturing to you when they are overwhelmed. Maybe their slow time is your busy time and you could form a solid partnership.

Bike racks was one of the ideas. Galvanization factory is near by the corner and we have done some of these. So this is one of the options

Benefit of modular line of shelters will be price of course, as it will be standardized and optimized solution. Customers with custom solutions are my main customers I am working all the time. The standard line would be something new and could be used for temporary events (some rent companies could by these and assemble in different presentations required shelter or even some parties) or for building companies to save building materials from weather conditions.

I have been trying to find such a manufacturer who would be busy over my slow period, but currently without success.

An other idea I am now calculating self cost is living containers. Why I get to this idea? Currently I am renting out 6 apartments for workers who are working in my factory but came to work from other cities or even countries. I have a land near by factory I can adjust to put these containers on. In a best case I can produce these and sell or rent out to other companies or individuals. If they are not selling out I can use them for my workers and supply inner demand and have showroom to show potential customers. This not solve whole period with some production and a lot of parts have to be bought from subcontractors (70% of the product), but at least till some part it can be used.

 

[Lescinsky]

Without knowing anything about your business:

It's weird that you are making stuff for the construction industry, and the peak season for that should be in the summer? So why aren't there any orders on spring-time?

But as for product ideas:

-Trailers, all sizes
-Agricultural equipment
-Excavator shovels and buckets
-Mining rods
-Conveyors of all sizes

Conveyors especially are easy to make and they are needed everywhere in the process industry.

Thank You!
-Excavator shovels and buckets - this is the good idea to look customers for. These are produced and used all year around.

 

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[LittleWolfie]

An other idea I am now calculating self cost is living containers. Why I get to this idea? Currently I am renting out 6 apartments for workers who are working in my factory but came to work from other cities or even countries. I have a land near by factory I can adjust to put these containers on. In a best case I can produce these and sell or rent out to other companies or individuals. If they are not selling out I can use them for my workers and supply inner demand and have showroom to show potential customers. This not solve whole period with some production and a lot of parts have to be bought from subcontractors (70% of the product), but at least till some part it can be used.

I know a company that sells these at about €40,000 (forty thousand euro) for permanent so can't be too expensive to manufacture,depending on their profit margin.

I wonder if you could license? I don't know how one would go about getting the appropriate permits though that seems to be the block.

 

[Niptuck MD]

If the galvanization factory is close by then try making widgets and other components and subcomponents if possible if you have any weld certifications or powdercoating e-coat abilities then that can easily enhance your productivity output.