How is business for you right now? Busy or Slow?--GBI drops to 47.1

[Garwood]

Absolutely dead and material pricing is insane. We make performance parts for VW/Audi vehicles. 75% retail 25% wholesale. I've raised prices as high as I can to try to makeup for material price increases. Sales are extremely weak. People don't need what we sell, they want it. At this point our customers are out of play money. My two largest wholesale accounts are the two largest retailers in my specific niche and their sales are so bad they are liquidating inventory disguised as holiday sales. International sales are impossible due to currency exchange rates.

I have been doing this for 20 years. I don't have the slightest idea how to get the work you guys do. I would love to be busy.

The lower end Aftermarket automotive stuff has slowed way down. High end stuff has picked up.

A friend is a top guy at a larger company you likely sell to. They are dead slow.

 

[Stirling]

For all of you with work lined up for months. Any stress you’ll get the “stop order” call?

Fortune favours the bold. And I would steam roll if work was hot. But it makes me wonder.

Hopefully the reshote Trend will keep things humming in manufacturing.

I know the oem’s I compete against for replacement parts have seemingly failed their customers. Lead times are brutal and costs way up.

I was hoping to cash in on this.
Still got my fingers crossed that I convert a lot of customers in the new year

 

[triumph406]

last two years have been good.

Next year not so sure.

I make and assemble projects for a customer. I hope to get more work from them next year, but they have been having issues with their main customer. Their work has been maybe 75% of my turnover.

Problem is two friends are making a competing project, that if it works the way they say it will, will wipe out my existing (75%)customer. They tell me how well the prototype is working. I tell them great, you know your likely going to put me out of business. They have no intention of sending me work.

Have another customer I can get a lot more work from, which I will probably have too. If I get work from them, they expect me to come and help them assemble at their shop, which is a 3 hour commute, which at this stage in life I don't want to do anymore.

The plan is one more year, then shut down. Could be an OK year, could be great, could be a disaster, don't know yet.

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And then there's the hernia, if it gets worse it could really up end next years plans.

 

[red beard]

January's GBI is up slightly at 47.8, still indicating slight contraction in the industry.

My shop had plenty work in January. It was a good month in gross revenue, but my backlog shrank significantly. February is starting off with a lot of activity. Several RFQs and new orders. I'm cautiously optimistic about 2023 at this point.

 

[john.k]

Get your hernia fixed.....I was putting it off due to the plague,anyhoo ,finally got it done ,a week to see the surgeon ,pay everything up front ,surgery three days later ,all fixed............they said I left it too long ,battle to get my guts back in......anyhoo,no pain ,no problems ,all good from the morning after the surgery .......Im not to lift anything for months ,which is OK.....total cost to get it done private,$7500.........with a bit of refund from "Medicare" ,maybe $400 back on the doctors ,nothing back on the hospital..