Why Flywheel Sourcing Is the Best Partner for Your Overseas Manufacturing Needs
What if…
You had more time to spend on what matters most for your business?
When problems arose, they were presented with various options to solve the issues at hand?
Your team really understood working with retailers…because they were retailers?
This is every CPG business owner’s dream, right? Just think of what you could accomplish if all of these things were true!
When you work with Flywheel Sourcing, you’ll enjoy all of these benefits and more. Read on to learn why we are the best choice for your overseas manufacturing needs, and how partnering with our team can translate to greater success for your business.
Laser-Focused on Our Clients
At Flywheel, our number one interest is you — not the factory. Flywheel is not a trading company: we have no stakes in ownership in any factory. Instead, our stake is in our clients.
Our focus is on making your job easier. We work diligently toward greater success for your business. What is right for you is right for us.
Our goal is to free up your time and space so you can focus on growing your business. We understand the urgency and requirements to get the job done, and we don’t let time slip by. Time can be your greatest advocate or your worst enemy: we work to make it your greatest advocate.
We know that communication is key to any partnership. We believe that effective communication is what drives the process, maintaining momentum from our first meeting to the last shipment. You can expect concise, authentic, and transparent communication from our team at every turn.
50+ Years of Combined Experience
Flywheel was founded in 2009, but our experience is even more extensive. Born out of global retail, the team at Flywheel has 50+ years of combined experience in buying, product development, and international merchandising and sourcing for major U.S. retailers, including Target.
We have the expertise needed to:
Increase your speed to market
Optimize factory choices and costing
Diversify your supply chain
Simplify your path to product development
Improve product quality
Create, improve, and implement processes and timelines
Distill requirements for compliance and tariffs
…and much more.
A Strong Retail Background
Drawing from our previous roles as Sr. Buyers and Directors for major corporations, we are able to give our clients insight into what retailers want and how to successfully navigate retailer relationships. And our experience guides the creation and management of detailed and realistic project timelines.
Our primary areas of expertise are:
Product Development: Transforming product concepts from idea to reality
Program Management: Providing a holistic approach to the process from start to finish
Compliance: Ensuring program quality and compliance with client requirements
We focus on expansion and growth, always working toward the next big thing and getting your products onto more retail shelves. What’s more, we can offer you additional support within our proven network with referrals for sales, design, and other support services to meet your needs.
Robust Overseas Resources
Headquartered in Minneapolis with global partnerships across Asia, our experience extends to both our U.S. and overseas teams.
Our model is to run a lean operation in the US while providing the resources needed in Asia where production takes place. In today’s world, feet on the ground where your factories are and strict oversight are more important than ever!
As a combined team, we locate factories that meet the needs and expectations of your company as well as the requirements of retailers.
Not only do we source factories that can compete on price and quality, but we also ensure consistent quality with AQL inspections on every P.O. with a third-party team (rather than leaving quality decisions to the factory).
When you partner with Flywheel, our team will:
Pre-screen factories
Identify factories that are compliant with your customers’ needs
Provide factory details and images
Supply ongoing factory reviews to ensure best pricing
Identify testing protocols and ensure factory compliance
Provide continual auditing to ensure expectations are maintained
Ensure pre-testing prior to accredited lab testing
Provide final testing at a certified lab if required
Perform AQL final random inspections (FRI) prior to every order shipment
Assess and work closely with factories to ensure retailer audit requirements are met
A 24/7 Extension of Your Team
Flywheel acts as an extension of your team. We drive the process for product development, sourcing, and compliance to ensure your programs succeed and customer requirements are met.
Our goal is to make your job easier. We’ll work with your team to drive continuous innovation, maximize newness, and grow your sales. We’ll help:
Reduce your in-house workload
Lower your operational costs
Increase speed of development
Protect your interests with eyes, ears, and feet on the ground in both the U.S. and Asia
Overseas Manufacturing You Can Trust
When you partner with Flywheel, we support your needs from concept to delivery with a focus on three main pillars: building your program, executing your program, and ensuring program quality.
Launching a program at retail takes detailed processes and prodigious effort. And as retailers increase their oversight, maintaining focus on these pillars is more complicated and important than ever.
To be successful, you need an experienced team you can trust.
Flywheel Sourcing has the experience, knowledge, and drive needed to take your business to the next level. Contact us today to learn more about how we can use our expertise to ensure the success of your overseas manufacturing efforts and, ultimately, your business.