In the age of globalization and increased cost competition, many US businesses have turned to China or India to have their products manufactured. Globalization, after all, allows smaller companies the opportunity to take advantage of the lower costs in that part of the world in order to remain competitive in their own market places.
Rubber Development, Inc. established global connections in 2004 with partners in China, Malaysia and Japan. It didn’t take long for problems to surface and the promise of lower costs and higher margins to fade. While our overseas partners were very good at visual inspection, their material testing, certification and duplication were far from U.S. standards and urgency was a difficult concept to pass on. Material problems were often not discovered until the goods were received. Our reputation was at stake, and we realized that, without a presence in China, we would be subject to another company's standards.
Deciding to open a plant in China and actually opening a plant in China are as different as the U.S. and China themselves. Fortunately, after years of searching and working through the maze of Chinese paperwork, we found our opportunity in Suzhou, China. In 2010, RDI (Suzhou) Co. Ltd. officially opened its doors. Our new 17,000 square foot facility, including a state of the art testing lab, allows us to offer our customers U.S. quality standards and documentation, competitive pricing, and more reliable delivery dates. We offer our customers rubber, plastic and metal components that give them the competitive advantage they need to stay on top of their market segments.
