July 20th, 2009 by Ron Jr "Reg" Gustafson

Something’s kind of nippin’ at me today, and I wonder if I’m alone in my feelings?  It has to do with the response time I experience in doing business in a B2B context with more than just a few companies.

In addition to my role as project management at Clinkenbeard, I purchase a variety of raw materials consumed by the Clinkenbeard machine. To be honest, I have a difficult time finding companies who have a healthy sense of urgency needed to deliver products and services when I need them. As I speak with many people who call to inquire about the services we offer, I find that I’m not alone in this search for companies who possess this sense of urgency.

Clinkenbeard specializes in expedited delivery. Our clients have THE NEED FOR SPEED. We have developed a reputation for accepting the challenging deadlines posed by this group of clients. Maybe it’s that we are so used to meeting challenging deadlines and working in an environment of rapid response that we expect everyone else do to the same.  Or maybe I’m correct in my being under whelmed by the response rates and senses of urgency I experience in dealing with some companies today?

What has been your experience?

I believe that customers deserve immediate feedback. If I can supply information immediately I do so; if not I reply with a time estimate to supply this information, so that the customer knows that their email or voicemail has been received and the wheels are turning to supply the information they require.

With respect to manufacturing, the goal remains the same. We strive to supply quotations in 24 hours or less in most cases. Our staff has been exposed to a wide range of manufacturing processes, which allows them to identify the absolute fastest process for the part our customers need. Once we identify the Fasterestest process to make customer parts the rest will soon be recent history!

July 1st, 2009 by Mark Ricotta

Clinkenbeard, a Rockford, Illinois-based rapid manufacturing and prototyping company, was named by Aerospace eBusiness as “best in class” for its use of social media during the Paris Air Show, which took place June 15 through 21.

One of Clinkenbeard’s key markets is the aerospace industry and Clinkenbeard’s Ron Jr. “Reg” Gustafson attended the aerospace-dominated show and monitored and participated in the company’s social media networking, which included a Twitter page (www.twitter.com/Clinkenbeard) and a company blog (http://Clinkenbeard.info).

Other participants on the Clinkenbeard social channels included customers, prospects, the aerospace trade press, local Rockford, Illinois, media, economic organizations, individuals from the state of Illinois, a number of participants associated directly with the Paris Air Show, and more.

Aerospace eBusiness also reported ( http://ludozone.net/2009/06/22/social-media-at-paris-air-show-by-the-numbers/) that Clinkenbeard had the third most active Twitter account of all companies tweeting at the show, out-tweeting companies ranging from Raytheon to GE Tech Infrastructure.

A week before the show, in a news release, Gustafson encouraged all interested parties to “join the conversation and participate.”

This call for participation was one of the likely reasons involvement was so great, Gustafson said.

Gustafson added that, “One of Clinkenbeard’s key metrics of success is our adherence to meeting and exceeding the time-to-market requirements of our customers. Our company slogan is ‘Fasterestest.’ We think our having communicated in a real-time mode from the show is a form of our ‘Fasterestest’ way of doing business. ”

According to Aerospace eBusiness, “Most of the big companies used Twitter in a ‘traditional’ way, simply as a relay for the press releases they had posted elsewhere. However, there were two exceptions. GE started using their accounts early and was very active on the community boards and other social media outlets well before the show started. Clinkenbeard (Rockford, Illinois), a small US manufacturer of complex cast and machined parts, was the best user of the medium in the industry class and was rewarded with great coverage including a television spot back in Illinois.”

According to Gustafson, both sites will continue to be active components in Clinkenbeard’s integrated marketing mix.

Social media company D.D. Griffith Consulting assisted Clinkenbeard in launching the social media sites and will continue to provide consultation to Clinkenbeard with respect to Clinkenbeard’s ongoing social media communications.

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About Aerospace eBusiness

Aerospace eBusiness is a website operated by Ludo Van Vooren, a 15-year veteran of the aerospace industry.  Mr. Van Vooren blogs about eBusiness, Social Media, Internet Marketing, International Business Development, and Online Supply Chain Management.  He now spends the majority of his time developing the Internet as a communications and news vehicle for the aerospace and defense industry.

About Clinkenbeard

Clinkenbeard is a worldwide leader in the rapid production of complex castings and machined parts using a wide variety of plastics and metals. The company’s principal markets include US defense and government, aerospace, aviation, automotive, truck, marine and agricultural. Some of Clinkenbeard’s aerospace and aviation clients include Hamilton Sundstrand, Pratt & Whitney, and Rolls Royce. The patented Clinkenbeard® Toolingless Process is industry renown for producing metal castings efficiently, affordably and extremely fast. The process is based on machining sand cores and molds without the expense of tooling. All machining is done using CNC, which produces superior speed and accuracy.

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Mark A. Ricotta
815.708.7254
http://www.linkedin.com/in/markricotta