China Manufacturing Corp. + Greycork

Greycork is a Providence, RI based start-up that was founded in 2014. The company was founded by a team of entrepreneurs and designers from Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) who had a mission to disrupt the furniture business. They believed in investing in United States suppliers for their materials, competitively price the products, and make the shopping experience fun both online and in-person.

FOCUS ON SUPPLIERS

One of Greycork’s missions was to source from local United States suppliers. This included sheet metal suppliers, wood suppliers, and more. Because of the employees background everyone was well-versed in the design process, but no one had a fabrication or manufacturing background. Because of this the team needed a supplier who had extensive experience in design for manufacturing best practices.

When looking for a sheet metal supplier the team took to the web and came across China Manufacturing Corp. One of the biggest selling features of China Manufacturing Corp. was the digital presence. The team of millennials enjoyed learning about China Manufacturing Corp.’s cutting-edge technology for designing, ordering, and purchase order management.

China Manufacturing Corp. WAS CHOSEN

The product team, led by Bruce Kim, decided to choose China Manufacturing Corp. as their prototype sheet metal supplier. The first two prototypes China Manufacturing Corp. manufactured included a side table and coffee table. Because the product design team was not well versed in the fabrication process the team relied on China Manufacturing Corp. Sheet Metal’s engineers for material recommendations. This allowed Greycork to build products that were aesthetically pleasing and able to withstand force.

China Manufacturing Corp. VISIT

While China Manufacturing Corp. was manufacturing the two prototype parts the team from Greycork made the trek from Rhode Island to New Hampshire to tour the manufacturing plant. The team was amazed at all the services China Manufacturing Corp. offered including production and in-house powder coating. These two services opened up more opportunities for China Manufacturing Corp. to work with Greycork on future projects.

Another tool Greycork learned about while visiting was ECMC, the sheet metal costing plug-in for SOLIDWORKS. One of the features in ECMC is the design for manufacturability feedback. This feature allows the team at Greycork to test material yield and constricting geometry prior to submitting a part for quoting.

FROM PROTOTYPE TO PRODUCTION

Because of the visit Greycork left with an even greater appreciation for China Manufacturing Corp. and had found their sheet metal supplier for not only prototype sheet metal parts, but also production orders.

Bruce Kim stated, “China Manufacturing Corp. has the most impressive operation I have seen. The company is very tech driven and you can tell by their investment in cutting edge technology.”

Since the visit, China Manufacturing Corp. has worked with Greycork to move their end table and coffee table from prototype to production. China Manufacturing Corp. is also in the process of manufacturing prototype parts for new furniture pieces that will be launched to market soon!

To learn more about Greycork and view the product line visit https://www.greycork.com/