When the stakes are high and precision matters, choosing the right manufacturing partner is critical. But finding the right fit goes far beyond technical capabilities—it requires a company that truly understands your market, makes communication easy, and delivers the right quality for your application at a price that makes sense.
At Jones Metal, we’ve spent years refining what makes a successful partnership. Through decades of work with aerospace, defense, and other high-precision manufacturers, we’ve pinpointed the factors that make or break a partnership. Here’s what we look for–and how to make the partnership work.
Know Your Market (And Your Part’s True Requirements)
One of the most critical factors in a successful manufacturing partnership is understanding your market well enough to make informed decisions about quality standards.
We’ve seen it countless times: a quality assurance manager who doesn’t truly understand the end application will push for perfection on every specification, whether it’s necessary or not.
This creates what we call “quality creep”—the gradual escalation of standards beyond what the market actually requires.
The result? Part prices can triple while providing no additional value to the end customer.
The best partners can answer questions like:
- Which specifications are critical to my end user’s needs?
- Where can we maintain commercial tolerances versus aerospace-grade precision?
- How will this part actually be used in the field?
This doesn’t mean we compromise on quality—it means we deliver the right quality for your application at a competitive price point.
Communicate Clearly and Respond Quickly
Communication issues at the beginning of a relationship often signal challenges ahead—for both parties. Projects run smoothest when both the manufacturer and customer can respond quickly and make decisions efficiently.
Customers who thrive with Jones Metal:
- Answer straightforward questions within days, not weeks
- Place purchase orders promptly when committing to aggressive timelines
- Provide easy access to drawings and technical specifications
- Maintain clear points of contact across departments
The strongest partnerships happen when customers bring knowledgeable teams to the table—people who understand the manufacturing process, can answer technical questions, and have authority to make decisions in real time.
Our Ideal Volume Range
Not every manufacturer is suited for every order size, and we’re upfront about ours. Jones Metal specializes in low-to-medium volume production—typically hundreds to thousands of parts annually rather than tens of thousands.
We do take on smaller projects, particularly when they involve challenging parts that leverage our specialized capabilities. These partnerships work best when communication is efficient, the technical requirements are clearly defined, and both parties can move quickly.
The parts that become our strongest, longest-lasting partnerships tend to have regular production runs rather than one-time orders.
Industries Where We Excel
Your industry matters because it typically predicts the value and complexity of the parts you need. We actively pursue work in aerospace, defense, nuclear, and space applications. These industries value precision, understand the engineering challenges involved, and recognize that complex parts command appropriate pricing.
Industries that aren’t a good fit for Jones Metal:
- Automotive high-volume stamping
- Appliance manufacturing
- Lawn and garden equipment
These markets typically require commodity pricing on high volumes—work that doesn’t leverage our specialized hydroforming capabilities and engineering expertise.
For commercial applications, we look for parts that have something special about them: tight tolerances, pristine surface finishes, or geometric complexity that requires real manufacturing skill. If someone can make your part in their garage, it’s probably not the right fit for our capabilities.
Building Long-Term Relationships
While we occasionally take on one-time projects through our foundation program (which supports our local community), our business model is built on repeat customers. The development phase—figuring out tooling, processes, and specifications—represents the most significant investment in any new partnership.
When parts repeat annually or semi-annually, both parties benefit from the learning curve we’ve already climbed together. We know your specifications, understand your quality requirements, and can deliver efficiently.
Payment Terms That Work
Payment terms have ended potential partnerships before they began. Our average customer pays within 45 days. We’re not a massive corporation with unlimited cash flow—we’re buying materials, building tooling, and coordinating multiple processes before we ship your parts.
Important Note on Payment Terms
If your company operates on Net 90 or Net 120 terms, we’re simply not a good fit. We won’t sell receivables to finance companies, and we can’t wait a year to get paid for work completed months earlier. This isn’t negotiable—it’s a fundamental business reality for a company our size.
Help Us Navigate Your Organization
Working with OEM-sized companies presents unique challenges. Success often depends on knowing who actually has decision-making authority across at least seven different roles—from engineering and purchasing to quality assurance and even “behind the scenes” influencers who can greenlight or kill a project.
The complexity multiplies when your parts ship to multiple assembly sites. A quality inspector in Mexico who’s never spoken with our team might reject parts for issues not even specified on the drawing, and navigating those situations requires relationships with the right people who can make logical, informed decisions.
Our advice for larger organizations: The sooner you help us understand your internal structure and connect us with key decision-makers, the more smoothly the partnership will run when issues arise.
Ready to See If We’re the Right Fit?
Great manufacturing partnerships are built on mutual respect, clear communication, and aligned expectations. Not every project is right for Jones Metal—and that’s okay. But when we find the right match, we build partnerships that last for decades.
Contact Jones Metal to discuss your project and determine whether our capabilities align with your needs. We’re excited to discuss your project!