Custom Manufacturing China - Finding a Suitable Contract Manufacturer

I have a products which I want manufactured by a Chinese manufacturer. How do I go about finding a suitable manufacturer?

As said above, you have the option of travelling to China to look at factories who may be suitable to manufacture your products. Having said that, I would recommend doing as much leg work as possible before going.

Differerent regions can specialise in different products although this is becoming more blurred in recent years. But the point is that you probably don't want to have to visit a factory in Guangzhou, then one in Shanghai, then another in Xiamen becasue if is not practical.

If it were me I would be looking at identifying several different suppliers who are making similar items already as they will be the ones most likely to be able to asssit with your product. Get as much details as you can off each one and don't be afraid to keep asking questions until you get the answers you want. My experience of getting new products made is that it will become too hard for some suppliers and so if you ask say 10 suppliers you may only get the answers you want from a couple.

But the end is that you need to be happy with all the information. if you are not happy with the details provided, be prepared to move on the another suppleir because if they are not good at the initial stages, they will get worse down the track. Many buyers consider they have already invested time and effort with a particualr supplier to change, but I cna definately say the time you take at the initial stages is well worth it.

Once you have narrowed down you list of suppleirs, then decide whether to visit them or not. I personally, have had stuff made where I have not visited the factory, but I have checked the process at every step including sampling and having third parties inspect the factory. i tmabe depends on what you feel comfortable with.

I have actually written a piece about arranging new products. I don't know if the admins. here will allow me to pos tit, but it is a link form the non profit generating site which may offer you some more advice:-

Asia Supplier Review Forum • View topic - Having a Newly Designed Product made

Hope this helps

In China, Factories producing similar articles are generally located in the same zone/city. For example - Wenzhou for sunglasses or optical frames, Zhejiang for sports shoes and so on. If you visit factories in those zones then you will have more choice of product at cheaper price due to stiff competition among factories.

It is always advisable to visit a factory if you are planning to place a large order.

Hi Aceventure:
Pls send me the detail of the product, I can source the factory. my email shnws@hotmail.com

Hi Aceventure,

Welcome to Wholesale Forum :)

There are a couple of effective ways to find a suitable manufacturer. You can either plan a business trip to China and visit the factories yourself to establish which manufacturer will work best for the production of your product, or use a sourcing agent or company who will take care of finding the best manufacturer according to your specific needs.

Many people prefer visiting China themselves to get a personal look at where they will be sourcing from, and to personally discuss specifics like design, materials used in production and quality. Visiting China will allow you to visit the well known Canton Sourcing Fair where you will find many manufacturers all in one place. Visiting a sourcing fair like the Canton Fair will help you optimize the time you are able to reside in China by approaching many manufacturers in a short time span. Many Chinese manufacturers will try to take advantage of first time visitors by drastically increasing their prices. Therefore, you will need to hire a good translator, guide and / or sourcing agent to help you communicate and negotiate the best deals.

If, however, you are not currently in a position to visit China yourself, you can consider hiring the services of a sourcing agent or company to find a suitable manufacturer on your behalf. However, when using a third party company, make sure you establish a legal agreement to help protect any valuable intellectual property. A sourcing agent or company can take care of the whole process for you, including arranging for samples being manufactured, negotiation, quality control and shipping to the US.

For a third way to find suitable Chinese manufacturers for your product without even having to visit China yourself, or having to verify and hire a sourcing agent, we recommend some services which have done all the hard work for you in verifying Chinese manufacturers. They offer a cost effective and safe way of finding the right Chinese manufacturer. To find literally thousands of verified Chinese sources, try the three largest online trade directories of verified wholesale suppliers eSources, Wholesale Deals and Worldwide Brands. All three list tens of thousands of verified wholesalers, distributors, manufacturers and drop shippers.

Hope this helps :thumbsup: