My name is Jase Kaser, and I’m aggressive.
When I say “aggressive,” I mean I’m ambitious. I’m risky. I like to push the production schedule to its limits. I like to get results when no one else can. That’s my brand, and it’s the Kaser brand – we take on projects that are too large for our team, we aspire to results beyond our capacity, and, somehow, we pull it off for our customers.
Or we did…until 2021.
On one hand, we’re experiencing an influx of business like we’ve never seen before. I suspect that customers we’ve worked with in the past, who maybe left to find shorter lead times and lower pricing elsewhere, are coming back to us now that our competitors’ pricing and lead times have increased. All things considered, this is a good problem to have.
On the other hand, supplies are tough to come by. Once upon a time, I could order powder coating, ask for it to be overnighted, and reasonably expect it to appear the next morning. Those days are gone. Suppliers’ shelves are increasingly bare, shipping times are up, and custom powders are taking longer to create.
This is by no means unique to the finishing industry.
So while my level of ambition has not changed, and my team’s size and skills have not decreased, I’m still in the unpleasant position of having to take my foot off the gas. I can’t promise the outcomes I want to promise. I can’t quote the lead times I want to quote. For the first time in my career, I’m at the mercy of circumstances I can’t control.
For the record, I hate it.
Customers, I hear you – you’re frustrated. So am I. Please know that Kaser’s lead times are not a reflection of our work ethic. If anything, we’re hustling harder than we ever have, and I’m doing everything I can to hire, schedule, and order my way out of the quicksand.
Thank you for your patience as we get through this season. I promise to put my foot back on the gas the moment it’s safe to do so.
