Behind the Bond

Superman, Batman, Captain America, Thor… we know all these names as the superheroes we see on the big screen. Combining a passion for helping others with a tenacity only few possess, they swoop in to fight the bad guys and save the day. When asked, “Who is your favorite superhero?” most of us have an immediate name that comes to mind. Someone who dons a super slick outfit and wields a shield, hammer or even their own strong fists of fury. But do you ever think about the real-life superheroes that walk among us? We’re talking about the guys and gals who keep everything humming along as it should be. And when things go awry, they step in to make it right, usually without anyone ever knowing there was a problem in the first place.

Holding Out for A (Glue) Hero

At Chicago Glue and Machine, heroes walk along our halls every day. One of those heroes is Tracy McMahon, a purchaser at CGM. Since 2011, Tracy has been immersed in the world of adhesives. Like many of our team members, Tracy didn’t start out in the role she’s in now. She began in the office, doing general work and helping with outbound shipments. It didn’t take long for her to transition into a new role: purchasing. This role required a lot of juggling – managing inventory and ensuring the right amount of product was on the shelves and moved when needed, confirming the product arrived on time, handling any and all issues that may have arisen with the inventory, working with sales to procure the product needed in a timely manner, all while setting up part numbers and maintaining accurate lot numbers. We don’t know about you, but we’re tired just thinking about all the hats Tracy wears!

Tracy is one of the critical people behind-the-scenes that keeps things humming along. And the key to this is communication. She’s in constant communication with distributors and the CGM salespeople to ensure alignment. Even though we’re a few years past COVID, many are still struggling with raw material shortages and long lead times. But CGM’s goal is to do our best to make sure our customers don’t feel discomfort from these issues. When someone calls with a glue-mergency, like a big job just came out of nowhere and they need a 400% increase in the product they usually order, Tracy springs into action along with the sales team to get the customer what he needs.

Don’t Feel the Burn: Testing Alternatives

In those glue-mergency moments when a lot of adhesive is needed, CGM does their best to provide the product the customer has requested. Whether it’s already stocked in excess on our shelves or we’re able to request a large quantity be delivered from the distributor, we wield all the power from every resource we have to make it happen. But there are moments when it’s Just. Not. Possible. Do we throw in the towel and give up? No way!

This is where testing alternatives come in. One of our superpowers is having the knowledge of hundreds (actually thousands) of products available. Through the needs of our customers and our own 30+ years of experience and research, we’ve learned about a vast number of products and the applications they are best suited for.

So, when that glue-mergency moment comes – a large quantity is needed or maybe it’s the same expected quantity, but the manufacturer is experiencing long lead times – we are ready with an alternative. We look at what the customer needs, what they like or don’t like, the application that the product is needed for, and we find a product that is comparable and make that recommendation.

If You Fail to Plan, You Plan to Fail (and the word fail is not in our dictionary)

In a perfect world, machines would never go down, unexpected orders would never pop up, and delivery times would always be quick and without issue. Unfortunately, that glue-topia does not exist. That’s why we plan for the in-a-pinch moments and recommend our customers begin the process of testing alternatives long before they ever need them. It’s all about being proactive so if that glue-mergency moment comes, we’re ready to spring into action to keep your production lines running.

Saving the Day is a Call Away

If you’re interested in having a back up plan and want to begin testing alternative products, we’re ready to help! Call the CGM experts at 1(800) 419-GLUE or visit our website to get started.