I have a machine shop in China operate 3-axis, 4-axis, and 5-axis CNC milling and turning, working with materials such as aluminum alloys (6061 / 7075), carbon steel, and stainless steels (304 / 316). Typical tolerance capability is ±0.01–0.02 mm or as specified on your drawings. Looking for North America customers for the opportunity to quote any upcoming RFQs.
Before I commit to any supplier, I run them through the same checklist every time. Learned this the hard way after a few bad orders early on.
The 5 things I look at:
1. Landed cost, not unit price. The quote means nothing until you add freight, customs duty, brokerage fees, and inspection costs. I've seen $5/unit quotes turn into $9 landed. Always calculate the true cost before comparing suppliers.
2. On-time delivery rate. Ask for it directly. A supplier who hesitates or can't give you a number is telling you something.
3. What happens when something goes wrong. Ask them: "If 10% of my order arrives defective, what's your process?" Their answer tells you everything about how they operate.
4. Canadian import compliance (or your country's equivalent). Can they provide the documentation your customs authority needs? If not, you're taking on that risk yourself.
5. Communication before the sale. If they're slow or vague when they're trying to win your business, it gets worse after you've paid.
I actually built a scored evaluation sheet around this that I use for every new supplier — happy to share if anyone wants it.
I’m working on sourcing for a small home-goods line and I’m currently trying to find dependable wholesalers for the plush korean blanket styles that many UK resellers carry. I’m aiming for mid-range quality, so I’ve been focusing on suppliers who claim to work directly with textile mills in Panipat, Ludhiana, China, and South Korea. The challenge is that a lot of supplier listings reuse the same production photos and similar price sheets, which makes it harder to tell who is actually running a real operation.
I’ve been checking company names in trade directories, requesting basic certifications, and asking for short production videos that show fabric cutting, stitching, and GSM checks. I also ask about packing standards since compression during transit can affect how these blankets look on arrival. To get a baseline on price and carton weights, I looked at a few listings on Facebook marketplace, Amazon and Alibaba just to understand the usual ranges before contacting any wholesalers directly.
Since this sub is filled with people who import far more regularly than I do. I’d like to learn what experienced buyers rely on most. What is the most dependable verification step you take before paying a new textile supplier for the first time?