Tell me about OEM's

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Val

Val

PFG, Picture Framing God
Joined
Nov 21, 2005
Posts
6,729
Loc
Carson City, Nevada
"Original Equipment Manufacturer"

Never heard of it until on the Grumble. A recent thread about $69 poster special, do-able because of OEM metal mouldings, caught my eye and put the wheels spinning.

I was given the opportunity to bid on a 150-frame package (14x20 silver metal frame, reg. glass, single mat, backing, assembled), with larger order to follow, and today found out I got the contract, because I was able to go with OEM metal, (chopped, because I don't have a saw, just a chopper.) My COG's...33%, because I purchased in larger quantities of paper matbd (cringe...required, and thankful for my Wizard!)) and glass and backing.

I haven't had a chance to talk more with my rep that helped me out, but how does OEM work? Do you have to order in larger quantities to qualify for OEM's?

Bob Carter, is this what you mean about turning a buying advantage into a selling advantage? I tied with my un-named local competitor for the per-unit bid, but was told I was chosen because I could provide "better customer service".

I have to have 50 frame "packages" delivered within 2 weeks (no problem....all materials are ordered today and will be here by early next week), with the remaining 100 by July 1st. I said I could deliver those 2 weeks earlier than that, or sooner. 1/3rd deposit-payment will be here early next week, balance at final delivery.

This is all new to me.

Tell me more about your experience and requirements with OEM's??
 
P.S.....Because this is a public forum and this might be a "trade secret", I'll gladly accept answers privately.
 
No biggie. OEM is just an "off" design that is run at a cheaper rate than say N1151..... the aluminum may be more slag or not.. I wouldn't know, I'm not a metalurgist, I just play one on TV.

Most of the time it is a "box" quantity thing.... but some of the "chop" houses / vendors will chop OEM for you on large orders.

just don't expect "fine quality" or even "quality control".... we've even had to re-paint some in the past.
 
Back-up Plan

Don't be suprised if you call your vendor one day...and they're OUT OF STOCK on an OEM for ??? days. Plan ahead! Have OEM information for 2, 3, 4 OEM vendors & price accordingly. Paying an unexpected shipping rate on 100's of chops can really eat into profits.

I've rarely had a problem with the quality of an OEM. Sometimes the gauge is a little thinner, but it hasn't affected the performance. However, you won't find the kind of options available with the "big names"...just the basic colors & finishes.

If you find yourself with more of these jobs, take a look at bulk hardware, too. You'd be suprised at the amount you can save.
 
Congrats, Val - just goes to show that us "little guys" can go for big jobs, too (and get them)

This is one of those times a good relationship and good rep can really help out - sometimes on large orders like this it's possible to negotiate for chops at length, free freight, etc, since it's a big one-time deal. You've gotta ask, though - they won't volunteer. Don't be afraid to ask.

We've had jobs like this where we were able to get joined at length (ordering joins saved lots of labor time) and chops (metal) at big discounts.

Way to go!
 
Huh??

Val,

I may be as confused as you about the meaning of OEM as it applies to the framing trade! When I was in the automotive field and we had to replace parts on a wrecked vehicle, we had a choice of either OEM or generic or aftermarket parts. OEM parts were the exact replacement parts manufactured by the company that built the vehicle. They carried the same part # as the original part and were of the same quality as the original part. They usually came to us in the company marked wrappings or containers and were exact replacements for the original parts that we were replacing on the customer's vehicle.

Generics or aftermarket parts, on the other hand, were usually of inferior quality particularly sheet metal parts, doors, fenders, hoods, etc., and many times didn't fit the contours of the body of the vehicle exactly. Many of my customers demanded only OEM parts and wouldn't accept aftermarket parts for any reason because of their inferior quality. The insurance companies wanted all of the body shops to use aftermarket parts when they were available because of their lower cost. They weren't at all concerned with quality or fit of the parts, only price.

This doesn't sound even close to what Baer said and I didn't see the thread you mentioned about OEM moulding or matboard or whatever it addressed. If OEM is something akin to certain box programs for first quality mouldings in large quantities I can see the comparison. But, if the acronym "OEM" was used to designate a lesser or inferior grade of materials or a generic "knockoff" of a quality moulding or other material, I am not so sure it was used correctly.
 
I have a couple of supppiers I go to for OEM metals. Basically in our industry its a more reasonable version of metal frame, as others stated in profile 11 typically. These are lines that they carry as their "own".They work just fine for my applications, and I order them chop as I need them. They are the first metal I reach for when it comes to bulk slam'em it out jobs.

As oppose to a cheaper lesser quality wood, I have never had a problem using them. But if you ever had a couple of rails of an OEM and a Nielsen kicking around and you got them mixed up, oh and didn't think to check the stamp on the channel....just grab an end of a rail in each hand , if it twists easily, thats you OEM ;)
 
White Core Mats

Nice Job Val!

Keep doing these tpes of jobs so you develop a reputation for being able to do them. It will be a GREAT thing for your business in the long run. I appplaude your creative thinking and willingness to take on this kind of project.

I use a lot of the #11 oem metal profiles that I buy in length from Decor. I do stick to the anodized and matte finishes only. The finish just seem to hold up better than any of the painted ones. (as Baer mentioned). Definately look into bulk hardware. Especialy if you think you will be doing more of these. The savings can be substantial.

If you are going to be or want to be doing this type of thing regularly, you really should loook into getting a saw. I have a double miter from Clearmount that I have cut a lot of metal with and it has paid for itself 100 fold and it is still going strong. If you have the space, you can pay for the saw with one good order. Then you own it......

Now as I mentioned in my heading, back to the White Core Mats. There is a line of these available from Crescent, Bainbrige, and Peterboro and probably others as well. Most distributors have them. They are a paper mat with a bleached and "stay white" core. They look like a rag mat. But don't be fooled. They are not. They are paper. But boy, they look so much nicer and only cost a little more. If I remember correctly, the cost difference is less than $.50 / sheet.

Well there you go....

Oh and by the way. YAHHHHHH VAL!!!!!

Commercial framing. it is the new "Bread and Butter".
 
Val congrats.....

OEM
This confusing term has two meanings:

1) Originally, an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) was a company that supplied equipment to other companies to resell or incorporate into another product using the reseller's brand name. For example, a maker of refrigerators like Frigidaire might sell its refrigerators to a retailer like Sears to resell under a brand name owned by Sears. A number of companies, both equipment suppliers and equipment resellers, still use this meaning.

2) More recently, OEM is used to refer to the company that acquires a product or component and reuses or incorporates it into a new product with its own brand name.
 
A little tip for a small shop on large orders like this so that it won’t impact too much on the production of your regular work......

I’m presuming that you will outsource as much of the component parts of this framing job as possible.....ie....the frame shell, the glass etc. etc.

When all the components are ready for assembly/fitting, break the quantities you will fit down into manageable quantities (jobs)......say 10 to 20 Commercial job ....then back to 3 to 5 Regular jobs and so on until you have completed the Commercial job.....that way you will minimise the impact of the commercial job on your normal day to day production...

Again congrats........it’s great work to get if you plan your production in a sound manner....
 
Hi Val,

I'm not sure if they do delivery to your area or not but you might want to give Delta Mat & Moulding a try. They carry OEM and have chop service. 916-361-2353

Congrats!
 
If you take a 12" length of brand name moulding(with a real part number) and an identical length of OEM moulding you will find that the OEM is about 20-30% lighter. That is because the walls of the extrusion are thinner. They might look the same, but not to a micrometer.
 
fourcorners said:
Hi Val,
I'm not sure if they do delivery to your area or not but you might want to give Delta Mat & Moulding a try. They carry OEM and have chop service. 916-361-2353
Congrats!
Click to expand...
Thanks! Eric at DMM helped me out with the matbd, glass and backing prices. They do deliver here weekly, so no shipping/delivery charge, since I will meet their $125 minimum for the break. I'm using DMM more and more, in fact last couple of weekly orders surpassed LJ's! Great bunch of folks there. They even offered to cut all the mats for me, if I got in a pinch. Would cost a bit more, but for now, that's one of the reasons I got the Wizard.....I can just Wiz those puppies right out!! I've been paying attention to other threads that offer hints on production work. My shop is a small one.....thanks everybody....keep the suggestions coming!

My Neilsen-Bainbridge rep helped me out with the metal. No shipping, and hardware is included. It's a simple 5-profile silver....pretty generic, so won't have paint quality issues.

I'm getting the clean-from-the-box glass in boxes of 16x20, frame size is 14x20, so I only have to make one cut....and with cotton gloves, no cleaning time involved.

It helps that the customer (A government agency, BTW) doesn't need them all at once. 50 units at a time, over a 6-week period is do-able. The first 50 they do need asap. And I have "free" help....Wonderful Husband! He can handle a screwdriver just fine. (well, not exactly free, but won't affect my profit, anyway! Ha!)

I'm pretty excited about this, but on the other hand, have found myself asking myself "Oh dear, what have I done??":p
 
Wow!! After reading the Wikipedia version of OEM I can see why there is so much confusion about the application of such an acronym!!

It pretty much defines the usage in the automotive field as I understood it but there are other uses for that term that counter the adherence to a minimal level of compentency that boggles the mind! It seems like the same term can be used to mean the exact opposite definitions depending on in which context you are using it.
 
When the term OEM first surfaced in THIS industry back in the early 80s, many of us wondered about the confussion. Neilson and Clark were feeling the heat from companies like Alumaframe and Ex-L with their "Bulk" or "Jobber" pricing of extruding coming from Mexico.

I can be wrong.. but I seem to remember #5 coming out then and only in Blk, Silver & Gold. and being called OEM. But then, I may be biased in my memory as I have always hated metal since Ex-L Home Products first came out with "Sectional" metal frames in 1971 and every Saturday I had to restock the rack.
 
hey Baer, in 1971 I was justing finishing my year in kindergarten. Just wanted to point that out.
 
OEM is a convenient misnomer in our industry. The term originally applied to manufacturers that produce "original equipment", or to the parts sold for use in original equipment.

In our industry, OEM is used to describe mouldings that are used in high-production framing, and to the companies that do it. Generally, that means low price, high volume framing. In my limited experience, OEM mouldings are thinner-gauge aluminum extrusions. Some of them used to be so thin that they were difficult to saw without deflection, but I think that problem has long since been corrected.
 
Steph, just remember you are never too old or too big to turned over someones knee and paddled.

That "beer can thick" moulding was amazing stuff Jim. Amazing they called it moulding, amazing that anybody bought it, and more amazing that there were some with the real high speed belt drive saws that could actually cut it.
But the industry built on direct drive 1750rpm NEMA 94 motors so the moulding had stiffen up. :D
But those beer can frames on .857mm "glazing" and X-board mounts of the original Green Slugs made for some very interesting times. :eek:
 
Here is a reply from someone that actually uses OEM mldgs

The product works just fine and is perfect for your project

Pretty much every metal mfgr has an "OEM" line. Quit worrying about a definition; everyone knows what the product is

Buying right is a perfect description for this project. Imagine if you took the list price of a product like Nielsen 5 as a chop and compare that which you are quoting-how could you make any money

About a gazillion framers that do this type of work and about a half-gazillion purchasing agents know what they want

The advanatge of buying "bulk chop OEM" makes this project "profitable"

Someone told me way back when that the difference between "OEM" and Regular mldg was that OEM wsas from recycled aluminu and regular was "virgin" with a higher density

Have no idea if it was a "sales pitch" or true. Frankly, it doesn't make much difference to me or the customers
 
Bob Carter said:
Buying right is a perfect description for this project. Imagine if you took the list price of a product like Nielsen 5 as a chop and compare that which you are quoting-how could you make any money

The advanatge of buying "bulk chop OEM" makes this project "profitable"
Click to expand...

Bob, that's exactly what I did when I was first asked to bid on that project. My regular-everyday pricing, and thought Holy cow! How can anyone else do that for $25 and not lose their shirt?? There must be a way!! And so, with homework and research and a lot of question-asking here, I found out how! And at less than $25, I'm not losing my shirt, but actually making a decent profit, as well as got my foot in the door of a potentially steady account.....the Nevada state government will probably never go out of business.

Now, where's that screwdriver??? I've got work to do!
 
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