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Springfield manufacturer draws customers from afar

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By Thomas Gnau, Staff Writer 2:32 PM Saturday, March 12, 2011

Sometimes you have to bring your customers to you, Jack Palmer might tell you.

Palmer, president of a Palmer Manufacturing & Supply Inc., a Springfield foundry equipment manufacturer, hosted potential customers from South America for four days last week.

Palmer took those customers — 15 of them who flew to Ohio from South America on their dime — to area foundries, including Xenia Foundry, two foundries in Sidney and metalcaster Dualtech in Frankin, Ind., to see the company’s equipment in action, Palmer said.

Palmer said he has 30 to 50 vendors in the Dayton area.

Angelia Erbaugh, executive director of the Dayton Tooling and Manufacturing Assocation, said Palmer’s idea is not new. Other companies — such as Advanced Machinery in Dayton — have had similar events, she said.

But she added: “As far as bringing them (customers) in from another continent, no, I have not heard that.”

Matt Allen, a vice president at Advanced Machinery, said some customers often need to see machines, especially if they’re used. Advanced Machinery is having its own open house Thursday and Friday.

“With a lot of eqiupment, new and especially used, you might have an idea of what it is, but until you get your eyes on it ... it doesn’t have the same effect,” Allen said.

The reason to invite prospects to Ohio for what he called a “mini-trade show” is simple, Palmer said. “The environment for manufacturing is not optimal.”

With about 30 local employees today, Palmer started as an iron and aluminum foundry in 1975. He hopes bringing in customers from abroad can double that number.

Palmer’s company has weathered the recession, working through a large backlog that helped the firm avoid layoffs and keep workers at 40 hours a week, he said.

“If you have a good product, customers will come,” Palmer said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2390 or tgnau@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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