If you’ve been trying to find a local, domestic supplier for aluminum printed cans lately and come up empty, you’re not alone. No one can deliver. A stateside labor shortage is largely to blame.
It’s almost impossible to get good workers right now in the USA. For over six months, the rate of Americans quitting their jobs has continued to soar above the pre-pandemic highs — and it doesn’t look like it'll improve anytime soon. The media is calling this “The Great Resignation.”
Why is it happening? It’s complicated. Part of it is pandemic-induced burnout. Some have quit because of the heavy workload this labor shortage is lumping onto people who are still working. Another part is that American workers have decided they want more pay for the same jobs they held before the pandemic. So it’s hard to hire, it’s hard to retain, and it’s hard to get anything done in the domestic supply chain.
Where Are My Cans?
The manufacturing sector has been hit really hard. Factories are struggling to hire new employees even as demand is booming in the economy. Costs were already higher to buy domestic products due to the cost of American labor, but those costs are now skyrocketing as new hires demand even higher wages and existing employees expect a pay bump in 2022, according to a new CNBC/Momentive workforce survey.
At the same time, pent-up demand from more than a year of factory shutdowns, cancelled orders, and major supply chain disruptions is at a fever pitch. The domestic supply chain is on the ropes, completely unable to deliver even basic products like printed aluminum cans with reasonable prices or lead times.
We’ve seen companies parked in line for 4, 6, 8 months, wondering where on the green earth their order for 50,000 cans could possibly be — and all the while their product is sitting idle, waiting for containers and collecting dust instead of revenue. It’s a disaster.
Things are even worse for small and mid-sized brands and distributors that have to compete with the global leaders swinging their weight around, gobbling up any possible bandwidth in the supply chain. Ball Corp, meanwhile, seems determined to push out the smaller guys and cater to Budweiser, Coors, and Coca-Cola.
Get Off the Ropes and Get Back in Business
Companies are searching frantically for alternatives that can get their products moving again.
Your best bet is to go overseas, where prices (as much as they’ve risen) are still lowest, and where manufacturers are not struggling as much to deploy a sufficient workforce. There are other hurdles to leap, of course. What about language barriers? How will you know you can rely on the supplier to meet spec and deliver on time? What are the negotiating conventions when it comes to price?
Don’t go it alone. An expert supply chain partner, headquartered in America but with deep experience overseas and light the way. The Oversea Network has boots on the ground both in the states and overseas throughout our global network of factories and warehouses. We know what it takes to get boldly printed, high-quality aluminum cans into the states and into your hands with sane lead times and at a price that makes logical sense — even in these economic conditions.
We know because we’re doing it. Domestic suppliers don’t know how to navigate the clogged shipping lanes and find fast, affordable ways to get high-quality products across the ocean, but we do. Stop putting up with the waiting game and get in touch with our team today for fast solutions on cans, stand up pouches, and other packaging solutions.
