Supply Chain Crisis

At the beginning of the pandemic, there were layoffs and shutdowns. It was thought that this would lead to a drop in spending and demand.  Instead, everyone shifted their spending from eating out and other crowded activities to buying PPE, office supplies and electronics.  Countries like China, that are a hub for manufactured goods, were slowed which created a domino effect when money that would have been spent on services and entertainment were now being spent on manufacturing goods.

With the world needing more PPE and other medical support, China started to ship goods to locations that they normally wouldn’t. This meant that there were empty shipping containers left all over the world and not where they were needed. Online shopping also spiked which added to the demand of shipping containers. Quickly, shipping containers started to pile up at the ports because of another shortage, truck drivers. Even when the cargo was delivered there was the challenge of warehouses being understaffed and unable to unload the trucks.

How has supply chain issues affected PGC?

The supply chain has seen some improvement, but it has a long way before it gets back to “normal.”  Being unable to get certain material for parts for weeks has led to companies to start looking for alternative materials.  Through research and testing, PGC’s engineers can help you navigate finding another material for your part programs.