United Global Sourcing Importing & Exporting Blog

Did you know that United Global
Sourcing, Inc. has been in business since 1981? Did you know that we are still working with many of our manufacturing partners since that time? Did you know that we have done all types of products, projects and componets and cover just about every market and every manufacturing discipline?

We have experience, we have integrity, we have your best intrests at heart and our goal is to make you life easier by delivering quality components to your quality standards, specifications and satisfaction. To find out how we can help you, send us a request or email us and we will respond within 24 hours. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

I have just returned from the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas and I was very encouraged by what I saw.

Not only were there many exhibitors as compared to last year but there were also more attendees than the year before. When I see this, I become greatly encouraged and I see improvement on the horizon for the economy. If you feel this way, then reply to this blog and make your comments as to why or why you don’t agree.

At UGS we are working harder than ever to improve our customer satisfaction but also to give back to the US economy by adding more workers and other added value.

Often when I am calling customers to allow us to quote, I am asked why do you need so much information? The reason is that we want to make sure that we cover all of the details from the beginning to make sure that we meet all of our customers quality standards and specifications and many issues can be avoided by crossing all of the T’s and dotting the I’s to begin with.

Why do we need 4 to 5 samples if they are available? Normally we have a minimum of 3 manufacturers available for competitive quote and we always like to have one sample for reference so if we ask you for samples and we ask for 5 it is not because we want them for ourselves to sell or play with, it is to help us make sure we quote you competitively and accurately. I hope this helps you and again convinces you that at UGS we want to be your professoinal importer.

In todays market place everyone is always lookng for a compeitive edge but there are certain pitfalls when considering lowering costs by going overseas. Some of the horror stories are receiving products that are not to specifications or the drawings provided. Maybe samples were approved but the shipment that was received was actually not the same as the sample that was approved. This may cause another issue such as you paid for the order or production upfront and now you find that you have no recourse but take the products that are not correct and/or you have to throw them away or have them re-worked which means that in the long run you have actually paid more for the components or products coming from overseas than you would have if you had manufactured them domestically.

How can we solve problems like this? First of all, we are fully responsible for making sure that we meet your quality standards and specifications and making sure that you are completely satsified. If there are any issues, you contact us and we make it right. Second, we not only provide you with first article samples for approval but we also send you shipping samples before anything is shipped. If that is not enough, with approved credit, we can give you net terms of 30 days to pay after you receive your order, which means you pay nothing until 30 days after your receive your shipment. What more can we do for you? We can also supply you with customer references to contact and get their feedback. Why not give us a chance to show us what we can do for you?

A month ago the SEMA/APEX Automotive Aftermarket Show took place and one of our valued customers – CIPA located in Port Huron, MI launched their new ‘EVOformance’ L.E.D. automotive aftermarket lighting. This new and modern lighting program offers everything from replacement headlight bulbs, dome lights, neon wire, strobe bars, bullet strobes, L.E.D. eyebrows, neon rings that surround the headlights, & neon ultra brights. These are all high-tech automotive lighting accessories made for today’s vehicles.

The advantage to using this type of lighting? The lighting is brighter but there is no heat transfer which means longer life for the bulbs unlike typical halogen and iridescent lighting on vehicles. How was UGS involved? We manufactured the complete program for CIPA, plus the packaging and artwork were developed by our highly qualified staff. We also won an award from SEMA for having the best packaging and graphics. You can check out the complete product line at www.evoformance.com.

This is yet another example of what we can do for you. UGS can take your project and make it a reality. We can take your product and not only manufacture it, but we will create unique packaging for you suiting the market you are trying to reach. Fill out the contact request form and let us show you what UGS can do for you.

Check out one of our greatest customers and their featured products. It all started with an idea. We then took that idea and made it a reality for the Marshmallow Fun Company (MFC).

We helped MFC with their designs, packaging, and even added some improvements to enhance their fine products. We also make sure that they meet all of the CPSC child safety requirements, provide them with all of the documentation and certifications, and monitor their tooling and provide them with complete service in getting their products to market. Not only that but they are really cool products and a fun project to work on as you can see by the video.

Now if we can do all of this for MFC, just think what UGS can do for you! We can take your ideas and turn them into a reality. Contact UGS today and one of our representatives will contact you within 24 hours.

In this global economy it is very important to have an edge over your competition and at UGS we have just that. We offer all of our customers the very best in service, quality, pricing and overall satisfaction when it comes to manufacturing overseas. To help us do this, we have our own office overseas located in Shanghai, the emerging financial hub of Mainland China.

Our employees are our greatest asset. They help us overcome the language and cultural differences which increases our value to our customers by problem resolution and pre-qualifying our manufacturers and making sure that our customer’s products and parts are made to their satisfaction.

We have a highly trained staff of sales, customer service, engineers and quality engineers on hand at our Shanghai office working very hard to ensure our customers satisfaction. Our office is located in the business district of Shanghai with office space of over 7,000 square foot in a new modern facility (see attached photos of office space and key personal).

In order to be a competitive and reliable overseas supplier, you have to have the necessary tools in place in China which sets us apart from many of our competitors and yet another reason that UGS should be your only source to go to for overseas manufacturing.

So contact UGS today to see how we can help set you apart from the rest of your competition!

One of my responsibilities I have with UGS is making sales calls to generate new business opportunities. Some resistance I run into when making these calls includes:

1) You take away jobs from the USA.

2) I have tried working with offshore manufacturing but have had nothing but trouble.

I thought I would take a moment to address both of these remarks and give everyone a different perspective. Regarding the first issue, my response is that we are a wholly owned US company and employ US citizens. We offer a service that helps our US manufacturing customers reduce their costs, which helps them become more profitable by getting products manufactured Overseas. This additional profitability allows businesses the opportunity to expand and hire more employees which ultimately helps our economy.

Regarding the second remark; this is the main reason you should consider working with UGS. We have heard the many horror stories from customers who have tried to go overseas themselves or have used trading companies and have received manufactured products or components that were not to their specifications but had no recourse to get the correct parts or even get their money back. We offer a turn-key solution that provides competitive offshore pricing and reduces risk by doing the following:

Provide delivered to your door pricing, including all freight costs, customs, and duty in our quoted price. No hidden charges.

Provide first article samples for approval before any Overseas production is made.

Provide shipping samples for approval before their Overseas shipments are made.

With approved credit, we can also extend payment terms which eliminate the need for costly letters of credit.

We have the experience and longevity (in business since 1981) to handle any project or product.
We are UGS and we love what we do and we have customer references to prove it.

So contact us today to see how we can help you and your company.

More like, what can’t we make? We thought it would be a good idea to look at some of the products that UGS manufactures for our valued customers to give you an idea of what we are capable of doing. We plan to show you over the weeks ahead some of the products and components manufactured as a sampling of our capabilities and who knows, maybe you might see something the perks your interest?

The featured product this week is a wheel polishing tool called the ‘Black Magic® Bullet’. This product attaches to any cordless drill and is used for polishing wheels and rims for your car. It is unique in that it is a tapered design to reach those tight spaces that are found on high polished chrome rims.

What makes this a unique product to manufacture?

The brush head is made from an absorbent foam wrapped in gentle, non-woven microfiber material called Evolon®.

Robotic sewing machines help assemble the head utilizing 2 different stitch patterns (one is called a box stitch and the other is called a lockstitch) for increased strength and durability.

This tool incorporates a high strength plastic flip-down handle for added control and increased safety.

We have also made this product to meet several tough standards involving a Force Test, Compression Test, Torque Test, Aging (heat) Test, Cold/Freezing Test, Impact Test, Tension Test, Tensile Strength Test, Tear Strength Test, Transit Vibration Test, Master Carton Drop Test, and Polishing Head Life Cycle Test.

We also provided the product in a free standing/hanging full clamshell display package complete with product and sample bottle of wheel polish (see photo below).

The product involves several manufacturing processes (cut & sew, machining, plastic injection mold, and of course assembly). This is further proof for you that we can manufacture any project from simple to the most difficult and provide you with the quality and precision that you require. If you have a product or project that you need help manufacturing, contact UGS, you won’t be disappointed. If you would like to learn more about this product please check out our customer’s website at www.blackmagicshine.com.

UGS continuously monitors federal regulations and import shipping requirements because the import regulations are constantly changing both from a security standpoint and from the recent safety issues that have arisen.

Did you know that the CPSC (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) is requiring specific markings on products that are consumer products designed or intended primarily for children 12 years of age or younger? This is not just for toys, it affects any product for children 12 and under.

When does this law go into effect? August 14, 2009.

What does it mean for you? Every product that is manufactured overseas must be marked with some type of permanent marking before being imported to the United States. The markings must include the location of where it was made, the date of production or date-code, and a manufacturing code or factory identification lot number. If this marking is not present, your shipment will be rejected at port of entry and returned to the country of origin which would be very costly and time consuming.

What is the purpose of this import regulation? To provide an ability to identify the location, date of production and lot number so that CPSC can more readily isolate products that may present a safety concern at the port of entry.

What does this mean for you? If you are considering going overseas to have product manufactured, beware of the imitators, stick with the professionals at UGS and we will handle all of the import shipping requirements and we will make sure that you are protected. If you have any questions or comments regarding this subject, we are listening…