5 Key Questions to Ask Your Supplier: How to Choose the Right Partner

When it comes to your business, the right partners can mean the difference between stagnation and success. But when faced with making a choice, distinguishing between a transactional supplier relationship and a transformational partnership can be a challenge. 

At Copps Industries, we understand the pivotal role of partnership in delivering long-term value. With a mindset of mutual success, we strive to redefine manufacturer-supplier collaboration. We believe that beyond providing high-quality products, the right partner should offer transparency, fill knowledge gaps with their expertise, and provide proactive support.

We’re breaking down five critical questions to ask when you’re evaluating potential supplier partnerships.

1. How do you approach product development?

When assessing a potential partner, it’s important to understand their approach to product development. Are they focused on pushing the products already in their portfolio, or are they willing to tailor solutions to your specific needs and requirements?

At Copps Industries, we pride ourselves on a solutions-oriented approach, working closely with our customers to develop customized solutions that deliver real value. Plus, we continually push for improvement and innovation by refining existing formulations and venturing into uncharted territories.

2. What level of involvement can we expect from your technical experts?

Access to technical expertise can be a game-changer when it comes to coping with complex challenges. Does your prospective partner have experts on staff who can fill knowledge gaps and provide insights? Are they available to you?

Copps Industries offers easy access to a diverse team of technical experts dedicated to empowering your success. And with the Virtual Copps’ Chemist, you get to harness our expertise in every aspect of product development, use, and delivery.

3. How do you handle situations where a solution is not immediately apparent?

In the face of uncertainty or ambiguity, a supplier should be able to adapt. Does your potential partner demonstrate a willingness to experiment, test hypotheses, and collaborate to find the right solution?

Copps Industries collaborates with customers, leveraging our collective expertise and resources to overcome any obstacle that appears in our path. We’re not deterred by a challenge; we thrive on working relentlessly for a solution.

4. How do you ensure the formulas provided meet our expectations?

Trust is the cornerstone of any good partnership. Does it appear you can rely on your partner to deliver formulas that meet your needs in terms of quality and performance? Or are they simply serving up the cheapest solution?

We set the standard for quality, working alongside our customers to pave the way for performance and reliability. You can depend on Copps Industries to deliver products that exceed your expectations.

5. What measures do you take to maintain confidentiality and protect our brand?

In today’s competitive landscape, confidentiality is non-negotiable when you’re seeking a private label supplier. Your partner should be committed to safeguarding your brand and protecting your reputation.

At Copps Industries, we supply both private label as well as direct to the industry. No matter how we partner with you, our mindset of mutual success means we become an extension of your team. We work with respect and discretion, taking every measure to work with integrity and maintain the confidentiality of your custom solutions.

Assessing Supplier Responses

As you evaluate potential partners, pay close attention to their responses to these questions. Here are three red flags to watch out for when assessing supplier responses:

1. Lack of Transparency: If a supplier is vague in their responses, it may indicate a lack of transparency or a reluctance to engage in open communication. Beware of partners who won’t speak openly about their capabilities and processes or how they work through potential challenges.
2. Limited Technical Expertise: A supplier who offers limited access to technical experts or is unwilling to share their expertise may not be equipped to provide the level of support you need. Make sure your partner is committed to providing help at every turn.
3. Inflexibility: Partners who resist experimentation, testing, or exploring new solutions may hinder your ability to adapt and innovate. Look for signs of flexibility, openness to new ideas, and a willingness to collaborate on solutions that drive mutual success.

When you watch for these red flags, you can better assess the fit of potential suppliers and identify the right partner who will be invested in your success. Choose a supplier who listens to your needs, freely shares expertise, and demonstrates collaboration. Steer clear of those who signal they’ll operate on their own agenda.

Partnership is Paramount at Copps Industries

Selecting a supplier can be challenging. But with the right approach, choosing a partner can become a catalyst for growth and innovation. Prioritize partnerships built on trust, expertise, and shared success. As you make your assessment, remember that Copps Industries is dedicated to your success at every stage of your journey. Contact us today to learn more about Copps Industries and get started collaborating on a custom solution.

The Power of Epoxy Composites and Copps

Stronger yet lighter weight. More flexible yet more durable. Thermally insulated. Versatile. And chemical or corrosion-resistant on top of it all. If the part or component you need must be some, all, or even more of these, your best solution is an epoxy composite. 

If you need it fast and done to your exacting standards, the only solution is to partner with Copps.

Here, collaboration with our customers is king. Short lead times and fast turnarounds are to be expected. And access to our entire team, from service to formulation, to support after you have what you need – is guaranteed.  

And because we service a wide range of markets outside of the epoxy composites world, we’re able to connect you with different expert perspectives and new ideas. The kind other sources simply can’t provide.

Reinforcements: Putting it All Together

Your job, your product, your needs are unique. What’s not unique is the fact that epoxy resin alone typically doesn’t provide enough structural integrity to meet the reliability and durability you need.

We cater our epoxy development to create a low-density material with a high strength-to-weight ratio to meet the needs of diverse applications specifically with each of these types of reinforcements:

• Carbon fiber
• Fiberglass
• Aramid
• Natural fibers: jute, flax, and kenaf
• Exotic fibers: boron, basalt
• Particulate fillers: ceramic, silica, metal

Properties and Advantages of Different Reinforcements 

Each reinforcement material offers its own unique characteristics and benefits. The best material for your specific application depends on its intended use. Some of the most common properties reinforcements offer include:

• Impact resistance
• Stiffness
• High strength-to-weight ratio

Not Just a Manufacturing Process. Your Process.

For every type of process, there’s a set of variables that come into play – as well as the desired outcome. That’s why we develop products not just for the process type, but for the individual customer variation within each process type. That’s what makes Copps unique.

Through customer collaboration, meticulous attention to detail and precision, we develop products for all of these processes:

• Vacuum Bagging: An open molding technique (including Wet Bagging) that places mechanical pressure on a laminate during its cure cycle. Designed to achieve higher-than-normal properties of Hand Layup without the technical challenges of VIP.
• Hand Layup: The simplest composite molding method available where fiber reinforcements are wet out by hand and manually positioned into a mold.
• High-Pressure Resin Transfer Molding (HPRTM): Rapidly becoming popular in the automotive, industrial, and agricultural industries, this is a high-output process where dry reinforcement fabrics are placed into metal tooling inside of a high-tonnage hydraulic press. Resin is then injected under very high pressures for precise part geometry and repeatability. It can also be automated in a 5-step process.
• Light Resin Transfer Molding (LRTM): A closed-mold process similar to resin transfer molding where both the A and B molds are made of composites. This technology is frequently applied in production of boats and water equipment but has infinite possibilities beyond, including car body elements, trailers, aircraft, and more.
• Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding Process (VTRM): Another variation of RTM, this too is a closed-mold manufacturing process. Unlike LRTM, the top portion of a mold tool is replaced with a flexible vacuum bag, and vacuum only, no injection, is used to assist in resin flow. Currently most used in composite production where only one part of the laminate is visible.
  
• Vacuum Infusion Process (VIP): A low production-level, closed-mold process with a single-sided tool that is loaded with dry fabrics. A flexible film is then used to apply full vacuum to the part and the resin is drawn into the reinforcement through the vacuum applied. Popular infusion resin types include epoxy, polyester, and vinyl ester.
• Filament Winding: The process of winding resin-impregnated strands of fiber around a rotating mandrel to create a composite structure. Creates high-fiber loading with good directional strength for extremely strong composite products.
• Pultrusion: A high throughput process for making straight solid shapes where dry fibers are dipped in resin and pulled through a heated metal die creating the part profile and curing in one step. Best suited for high-volume, single-direction reinforced products like rods, poles, trim, flat panels, and more.

Regardless of the method to suit your process, our quality control and testing are vital to ensure the final product will meet the required standards.

Markets Served by Our Epoxy Composites

Where in the real world will you find epoxy composite solutions from Copps? 

Virtually anywhere. By land, sea, and air (even above and beyond) Epoxy composites are used throughout nearly every industry. 

In the automotive sector, they help create vehicle parts for increased performance and weight reduction. Composites can be used to form structural components in the construction industry. The marine industry relies on them to manufacture boat hulls, decks, consoles, and hatches.  In aerospace, they’re a popular choice for aircraft components thanks to their lightweight nature and strength. Here are just some of the markets we’re currently serving:

• Aerospace
• Marine
• Construction
• DoD
• Industrial
• Motorsport
• Automotive
• Sports & Leisure

Exceeding Your Epoxy Composite Expectations

If you have an epoxy composite need or challenge, call on Copps Industries. We’ll create a solution you can have confidence in. Performance and reliability can’t be topped by the day-in and day-out experience you’ll have working with our team of experts. When you’re ready to get started on your next, best composite, contact us today.

The Virtual Copps’ Chemist: Why it Matters to Your Success

In an environment marked by constant change, many businesses grapple with ever-shifting market dynamics, technology, and rules and regulations. Keeping pace demands expertise beyond the reach of most—no one organization has all the knowledge and resources to navigate this terrain alone. That’s why it’s so important to seek out partners who complement your capabilities and are deeply invested in your success.

Enter Copps Industries’ Virtual Chemist, a concept that redefines manufacturer-supplier collaboration. Here, we’re exploring what the Virtual Chemist is and how this innovative resource can benefit you.

The Virtual Chemist Concept

The origin of the Virtual Copps’ Chemist lies in our commitment to customer success. From the start, we recognized that most manufacturers don’t have the technical expertise to specify their formulations. You might know what you want but not necessarily how to get there. That’s where our knowledgeable team steps in to lend their insights. Since 1979, we’ve been developing custom formulations that fit a wide range of customer needs.

To picture the Virtual Chemist in practice, imagine this scenario: a customer might approach us with an inquiry about how a specific formulation would endure the extreme conditions of the African desert. While we may not have experienced this particular climate, we are confident in the product’s resilience in scorching Arizona temperatures. So, we work from there and collaborate to arrive at a solution.

This is the essence of the Virtual Chemist. Rather than succumbing to uncertainty, we leverage the collective expertise between our team and our customers. Together, we explore and innovate, pooling our resources and knowledge to address the challenge at hand.

There are countless other scenarios where the Virtual Chemist demonstrates its value. From keeping up with the latest chemical regulations to analyzing shipping requirements, we advise on every aspect of product development, use, and delivery. We also believe that access to these insights shouldn’t require exorbitant fees; it should come bundled with your custom solutions. This approach underscores our attention to your needs and our pursuit to exceed your expectations.

Commitment to Customer Success

Why does the Virtual Chemist concept matter to your success? Because the role of a supplier should transcend simply providing goods. The right partner serves as an ally who offers insights, fills knowledge gaps, and provides proactive support.

Through the Virtual Chemist, Copps Industries:

• Acts as an extension of your team. Our mindset of mutual success means that we work side-by-side with your team. With easy access to our staff and resources, you gain a partner equipped to navigate chemical and technical challenges, shipping intricacies, and evolving rules and regulations.
• Bridges knowledge gaps. We bridge the knowledge gaps our customers and other partners may have by freely sharing our expertise. Through educational initiatives for your sales or tech team, like the Rock Crusher College available to our Aggregate & Mining customers and other knowledge-sharing, market-specific events, we ensure you’re empowered with information and insights.
• Provides proactive support. We offer proactive support by staying ahead of market trends and regulation changes. This approach can transform your supplier relationship into a collaborative partnership that ensures you remain competitive and compliant.

Partnering with Copps Industries allows you to unlock the power of the Virtual Chemist at no additional cost. It’s all about recognizing that your supplier relationship is more than just transactional; it’s a strategic aspect of your success.

Partnership is Paramount at Copps Industries

The Virtual Copps’ Chemist is more than just a service—it’s a testament to our commitment to customer success. As a catalyst for collaboration, the Virtual Chemist allows you to harness our expertise, secure top-quality products, and gain a partner dedicated to moving your business forward.

As you assess your supplier relationships, look beyond the surface and evaluate the full spectrum of support they provide. The right partner makes all the difference as you navigate an increasingly challenging landscape. To learn more about Copps Industries and get started collaborating on a custom solution contact us today.