How Our Vendor Relationships Benefit Customers

At Island Machine, our customers know they can rely on us for speed and quality. But we can’t meet and exceed customers' expectations alone.

Our precision machine shop partners with a network of vendors who we treat with the same respect and care as our customers. These relationships enable us to meet your prototype and production needs while saving you time and money.

Our Precision Machine Shop’s Process for Choosing Vendors

When Island Machine needs to find a partner to help with a project, we ask for advice. We call other precision machine shops to find out which vendors they use and why they work with them. Our team also takes referrals from customers if they know a vendor who would be a good fit. 

When we vet vendors, price isn’t necessarily the deciding factor. We’re interested in other factors, such as quality, speed, and communication, because we know these details are critical in manufacturing. 

Island Machine is particularly selective with vendors for aerospace machining. We choose these vendors based on customers’ approved lists to ensure they are qualified to meet customer and industry standards. 

Developing Mutually Fulfilling Partnerships

We work with vendors to cover various manufacturing needs, such as material sourcing, heat treating, plating, and welding. Our team forms relationships with these partners that go beyond basic transactions. We share as much information with vendors as possible so they can provide the best results.

Our partners take care of us, and we take care of them.

For example, an Island Machine team member once got stuck in traffic on the way to our heat treating vendor—and it was nearing their closing time. We knew that if we called and explained the situation, we could count on them to stay open just a bit longer. As always, they were there for us when we needed them.

Later, we hand-delivered a gift card and thanked them in person to acknowledge their effort. It was a small gesture, but it demonstrated our gratitude and appreciation for their willingness to accommodate us.  

Island Machine also shows our appreciation for vendors by paying them as soon as possible. We always pay our vendors before our customer pays us, often months before. It’s another way we display gratitude and recognize their contributions to our success.

How Customers Benefit from Our Vendor Relationships 

Unlike large companies that may not always foster personal connections with vendors, Island Machine is a small company that prioritizes relationship-building. Our team doesn’t simply send orders out to vendors and receive parts back from them. We forge genuine bonds with the people on the other side of the transaction.

As a result, we can lean on vendors in times of need, which strengthens the white-glove customer service we provide to our customers. 

For example, we can ask a vendor to prioritize an order if a customer is in a bind or request their help troubleshooting an issue a customer is having with a project. 

Island Machine: Quality Connections

Our partners don’t just complete orders for our team—they’re part of our team. 

We understand that quality vendor relationships translate to quality service and quality products for our customers. 

Contact us today to see what our precision machine shop can do for you.