Expanding international markets have the potential to be beneficial for manufacturing technology companies in the United States. Countries like India, Mexico, and China, among others, have growing industry sectors in automotive, aerospace, and medical devices, which creates opportunities for American companies to export their technologies.
However, some U.S.-based companies may be apprehensive of growing internationally due to the difficulty of providing timely and cost-effective technical support after the sale. To solve this problem, AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology offers its members access to Global Technology Centers and representative offices located in Mexico, India, China, Southeast Asia, and Europe. These regional hubs help member companies gain foreign market access through local research, sales, and support services.
Long Distance Dedication
Some of the best resources at the AMT Global Tech Centers are their field services support teams, staffed by full-time, experienced, in-country technical engineers who perform installations and after-sales service on machines for AMT members. Members pay a per-day fee for the technician’s services and avoid investing in their own physical location or full-time employees.
“Hiring AMT’s international field technicians is a cost-effective way to give customers the quick service they expect by local experts who know the language and the culture,” says Carlos Mortera, senior director of the AMT Monterrey Technology Centerin Mexico. “AMT members can establish a strong local presence without the cost or risk of opening up a staffed satellite office in another country.”
As the Service Manager at AMT's Tech Center in Shanghai, Simon Sun has been installing, repairing, and maintaining a variety of machine technologies in China for 20 years.
The following are a few advanced technology companies that have solved their international service challenges by using AMT’s global network of field service technicians.
Kinefac Corp.
Kinefac Corp., a manufacturer of precision metal forming machinery in Worcester, Massachusetts, has been using field service technicians from AMT’s Tech Centers in China, India, and Mexico for the last 20 years.
“AMT’s Tech Centers around the world have been tremendously helpful for us as a company,” says Noel Greis, president of Kinefac. “For example, we have 150 machines in China, and about 90 percent of them have been serviced by the technicians at AMT’s Shanghai Technology and Service Center. It gives our customers confidence that we can provide whatever they need for the life of their machines.”
Greis explains that having a consistent AMT field tech became even more important during the COVID pandemic, when international travel was heavily restricted.
“Simon, the AMT technician in China who has been doing machine installations and service for us for many years, has helped us maintain customer relationships when we can't be there, which is really important,” Greis says. “He makes sure our customers feel valued and understood. He’s very much an extension of our company.”
Acme Manufacturing
A fourth-generation machine tool and robotic integration company, Acme Manufacturing in Auburn Hills, Michigan, previously had been servicing its equipment in Asia using technicians located in the United States. But 10 years ago, Acme began using field technicians from the AMT Tech Centers instead, which had an immediate impact on cost savings.
“We realized it was more economical to have AMT’s service techs on the ground in Asia rather than fly our staff across the globe from Detroit,” says Fritz Carlson, president and CEO of Acme. “Plus, they can be dispatched quickly instead of the minimum 48 hours it takes for us to send someone internationally.”
As the reshoring movement brings more manufacturing to North America, Acme is targeting more sales in Mexico, and the AMT field service team there is supporting that growth.
“Mexico is becoming more interesting to us, as many companies are moving their manufacturing from overseas, and we expect to see a lot of growth in Mexico in the next decade,” Carlson notes. “Even though we’re a smaller company with only 90 people, our sales cover the world. It's nice to know that we've got international service support from AMT when we need it.”
Manufacturing Technology Inc.
In 2005, Manufacturing Technology Inc. (MTI) in South Bend, Indiana, saw a sales boom in China of its friction welding machines, so the company opened up a local service center to handle installations and repairs. Three years later, the company closed its shop and hired technicians from AMT’s Tech Center in China instead.
It wasn't economically feasible to have our own full-time service people in China,” says Gary Kopczynski, senior account manager at MTI. “The nice thing about the AMT technicians is that we pay as we go. If we don’t need them, we’re not paying for them. The clock starts when we have a service call.”
Plus, avoiding time zone differences even further speeds up the response time to keep customers up and running.
“There’s a 12-hour time difference between Indiana and China, so if a customer had to wait for our U.S. technician to return their call, they’ve already lost half a day of downtime,” Kopczynski says. “The local AMT service technicians respond the same day, and because they installed the machines in many cases, they can sometimes resolve an issue over the phone. I highly recommend using the experienced technicians from AMT’s Global Tech Centers for fast and reliable machine service.”
Want to expand sales into international markets? Need help with securing local installation and field services? Learn more about how AMT Global Tech Centers can give you the support you need to take advantage of growing markets around the world.
