Here are the top three answers for July’s Around the Table Question of the Month: “Do you ever ask your vendors to participate in events at your company? In what ways?” 

“I’ve discovered that when it’s for the employees, the vendors will step up. They are a client and they want that engagement and visibility within your company. I think it’s great. Engagement is what it’s all about. They want to be a partner – not just a supplier.”

“We engaged and partnered with one vendor a little too much. We described a project we were working on for a company and they liked the sound of it so much that they went out and bought a five-axis machining center and started competing with us!”

“We recently started doing this. We’re bring a new product to market – a new style coolant system. We hosted an industry association meeting at our facility and invited the vendor who helped us work on the system. It was educational. We also do a lot with community schools and tours; the goal is to get more teachers through our doors and educate them about manufacturing.”