President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 200% tariff on alcohol from EU countries unless the bloc scraps its “nasty 50% tariff on whisky”. Trump has already imposed 25% tariffs on other imports from Mexico and Canada – with some exemptions – and a 20% levy on Chinese goods.

What are tariffs and how do they work?

Tariffs are taxes charged on goods imported from other countries. The companies that bring the foreign goods into the country pay the tax to the government. Typically, tariffs are a percentage of a product’s value. A 20% tariff on Chinese goods means a product worth $10 (£7.76) has an additional $2 charge. Firms may choose to pass on some or all of the cost of tariffs to customers.

The US has typically charged lower tariffs on goods than other countries. Economists fear Trump’s new taxes – and the further tariffs on foreign imports that he has suggested may start on 2 April – could lead to a sharp increase in the prices consumers pay in the US and around the globe.

• BBC reporters answer your tariff questions

Why is Trump using tariffs?

Tariffs are a central part of Trump’s overall economic vision. He says tariffs will boost US manufacturing and protect jobs, raising tax revenue and growing the domestic economy. He also wants to restore America’s trade balance with its foreign partners – reducing the gap that exists between how much the US imports from and exports to individual countries. But he has refused to rule out the prospect of a recession as a result of his trade policies, which sent US stocks sharply down in the days before the metal tariffs took effect.

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick later said the tariffs were “worth it” even if they did lead to an economic downturn. Trump’s tariffs initially targeted goods from China, Mexico and Canada. These accounted for more than 40% of imports into the US in 2024.

But Trump has accused the three countries of not doing enough to end the flow of migrants and illegal drugs such as fentanyl into the US.

All three countries have rejected the accusations.

• Trump’s tariffs risk economic turbulence – and voter backlash
• Faisal Islam: Trump is no longer swayed by the stock markets
• Is the US really heading into a recession?

How do the steel and aluminum tariffs work?

The 25% tariffs on all US imports of steel and aluminum began on 12 March. The US buys more steel than any other country – with Canada, Brazil and Mexico its top three suppliers.

Jennifer Clarke
BBC News

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Durable Superior Casters – What can we build for you?

1. NAFEM: 2/26 – 2/28/2025

Booth # 3700
Atlanta, GA
Georgia World Congress Center

Founded in 1948, NAFEM is a trade association of 500+ commercial foodservice equipment and supplies (E&S) manufacturers – a $14.3 billion industry*. These businesses, their employees and the products they manufacture, support the food away from home market – which includes more than one million locations in the U.S. and countless more around the world.

2. ProMat: 3/17 – 3/20/2025

Booth # S241
Chicago, IL
McCormick Place

Discover the latest solutions to move your business forward as industry leaders showcase their latest manufacturing, distribution and supply chain equipment and systems. ProMat is the place where manufacturing and supply chain professionals help build the future of supply chains to discover the latest trend or technology that will take their supply chain to the next level of success.

3. Interphex: 4/1 – 4/3/2025

Booth # 1965
New York, NY
Javits Center

INTERPHEX is the leading global pharmaceutical and biotechnology event that fuses industry innovation with expert-led conference. It’s where the newest ideas are shared, technology is unveiled, and the power of science though commercialization comes to life. No matter where you are in the pharmaceutical development lifecycle, INTERPHEX delivers relevant solutions to drive growth and fuel scalability for your business.

4. Automate: 5/12 – 5/15/2025

Booth # 5250
Detroit, MI
Huntington Place

As the largest robotics and automation event in the Americas, this is the place for anyone working with or curious about automation. Join us in discovering what’s next – for you and the world.

5. InfoComm: 6/11 – 6/13/2025

Booth # 5674
Orlando, FL
Orange County Conv. Center

InfoComm is the largest professional audiovisual trade show in North America, with thousands of products for audio, conferencing and collaboration, display, video, streaming, control, digital signage, Enterprise IT, security, VR, higher education, and live events.

AND MORE TO COME!

The post Durable Superior Casters: Upcoming Trade Shows appeared first on Durable Superior Casters.

These events also serve as a platform to unveil our newest caster designs, demonstrating our commitment to pushing the boundaries of performance and innovation. Beyond networking, trade shows provide us with a chance to expand our knowledge, gaining insights into emerging trends and technologies that fuel our drive to remain at the forefront of the industry.

At Durable Superior Casters, we believe trade shows are more than just events—they are key moments to foster collaboration, spark creativity, and solidify relationships that propel our business and the industry forward.

Looking Ahead

Durable Superior Casters is excited to participate in several upcoming trade shows that promise to be pivotal for showcasing our innovations and strengthening our industry presence. Our team is diligently preparing for events across multiple locations, where we plan to unveil cutting-edge caster designs and highlight our advances in performance and durability. These shows will also serve as a platform to engage directly with attendees, listen to their needs, and provide tailored solutions that align with their specific applications. We are committed to creating interactive and informative booth experiences, reinforcing our role as a trusted partner in the caster and wheel industry. By continuing to prioritize our involvement in these events, we aim to build on our momentum, drive industry progress, and foster lasting connections within the market.

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Through this transformation, we discovered that updating a conference room isn’t just about aesthetics. It delivers tangible benefits: boosting productivity, fostering collaboration, improving communication, and increasing employee engagement. The result? More efficient, impactful meetings that drive success and reflect who we are as a company.

If your company is in the market, here’s a more detailed look at the benefits of upgrading your meeting space:

Enhanced Productivity & Efficiency:

• Comfort and Focus:

A comfortable and well-designed conference room can significantly impact employee focus and productivity, as a comfortable environment leads to less distraction and fatigue. 

• Streamlined Meetings:

Up-to-date technology and efficient layouts facilitate smoother and more productive meetings, allowing teams to focus on the task at hand. 

• Improved Decision-Making:

A conducive environment for collaboration and clear communication can lead to better decision-making and faster problem-solving. 

Improved Collaboration & Communication:

• Enhanced Communication:

Modern AV technology and clear communication tools ensure that everyone, both in-person and remote, can participate effectively in discussions. 

• Facilitates Teamwork:

A well-designed conference room fosters a sense of teamwork and encourages interaction among participants, leading to better collaboration and idea sharing. 

• Better Engagement:

A modern and inviting space can boost employee engagement and create a more positive atmosphere for meetings, leading to more active participation. 

Other Benefits:

• Cost Savings:

By optimizing meeting spaces and reducing the need for external meeting venues, companies can save money in the long run. 

• Employee Morale:

A refreshed and well-equipped conference room can improve employee morale and create a more positive work environment. 

• Adaptability to Modern Work Styles:

A flexible and adaptable conference room can accommodate various meeting formats, including hybrid meetings and remote collaboration. 

• Resource Optimization:

Meeting room displays and booking systems can help optimize resource utilization and reduce wasted time and resources. 

Meetings play a crucial role in any business, and every successful company understands the value of creating the ideal space for productive discussions. If your meeting room hasn’t been refreshed in a while, it might be time to consider an upgrade.

The post Durable Superior Casters: Innovation Through Renovation – Update Your Meeting Space appeared first on Durable Superior Casters.

Posted 2016 on Scanco Enterprise’s website

This case study examines the implementation of a new inventory management system at Durable Superior Casters, designed to streamline the management of countless parts across multiple warehouses.

Challenges That Led to a New System

With an extensive inventory and a manual inventory management system in place, the company had many inefficiencies that led to not knowing what was available and when.

Results Delivered from Scanco Enterprise

Instead of manual inventory every two months, the company now conducts random inventory audits. A .07% discrepancy in a row of 800 bins is a priceless improvement in accuracy.

OVERVIEW

Durable Superior Casters, INC. is one of the leading business-to-business caster and wheel companies in North America, producing over 380,000 caster types for almost every application and industry. With five warehouse locations totaling 750,000 square feet, and over 10,000 parts, the company needed to automate their manual, spreadsheet-based inventory management process to gain efficiencies in the warehouse and sales process.

A HUNCH PAYS OFF WITH HUGE GROWTH, BUT STALLS REPLACING THE MANUAL SYSTEM

With 24,000 bins in the company’s Texas headquarters alone, which was all tracked by hand, the company’s primary issue was knowing what they had to sell when they needed to sell it. They were also challenged with supply chain management. Parts were coming from overseas, then assembled in the United States. They needed to know well in advance what they had and didn’t have so they could order parts, have them made, shipped, and get the parts assembled in time to get the orders out.

On a hunch in 2009, the company owner decided to buck the trend of just-in-time inventory and went the opposite direction. The company expanded their infrastructure to house large quantities of inventory. Before they could explore replacing their old school spreadsheet system, that hunch paid off.

According to Steven Twining, General Manager at Durable Superior Casters, “As our infrastructure and inventory expansion plan was wrapping up, our owners’ theory proved to be accurate, and the recession hit. Between 2009 and 2015, we were one of the few companies that had products and could still fill orders. We made giant gains during that time, but we were so busy with just trying to keep up with orders, we never had time to look at replacing our manual inventory system. It became obvious that if we wanted to go to the next level—from a mid-tier to an upper mid-tier level—we needed to make large-scale changes to our platforms to make us much more efficient and accurate in what we were doing.”

As business started to level out, Durable Superior Casters began to look at Warehouse Management Solutions, and one name kept coming up—Scanco. There were two main points Durable Superior Casters was considering in selecting a solution. The first was prior volume experience. Durable Superior Casters needed to know that the company selected had at least 4-5 installations with similar inventory volume and that it worked well for those clients. The second was integration into Sage. Durable Superior Casters had not been utilizing Sage’s full potential. They had other stand-alone software programs that were doing work that Sage already had integrated. Durable Superior Casters needed to make sure they got everything they needed in a one-stop shop to realize the full potential of the efficiency goals. That really narrowed down the field for barcoding and inventory solutions. Scanco ticked all the boxes and there was a gradual realization that Scanco was the only company and solution that was prepared and could handle the volume Durable Superior Casters was dealing with.

A SILVER LINING TO INTERNAL IMPLEMENTATION WOES

Steven admittedly didn’t know much about the Sage 100 system, so when faced with implementing Scanco, it forced him to dig into what Sage could do and how the systems together could work for Durable Superior Casters. Steven stated, “I truly had to learn the nuts and bolts of the system. By stripping it down to its foundation then building it up to what we needed, we made it all work for us. It ended up being a silver lining. I can say that we would not have been able to grow to where we are now without going through that process.”

Durable Superior Casters had other implementation woes that were internal issues, not Scanco’s—but Scanco helped Durable Superior Casters through them. Steven added, “Scanco worked with us in every way and went well above and beyond many times. For an implementation of our size, most software companies would have asked us to shut down the warehouse for a week. We didn’t have that option—nor did they ever suggest it. Our warehouse rolls 14 hours a day, 6 days a week and Scanco was great about working with us around that schedule, with full production going on.”

While it’s difficult to provide hard, measurable results attributed to implementing Scanco, Durable Superior Casters can point to increased sales because they now know what is on their shelves. However, the biggest impact was overall efficiency. When looking for material in a 300,000 square foot warehouse, knowing exactly where you are going before you turn the key in the forklift is immeasurable. Steven stated, “We used to take inventory every two months by hand. That included five warehouses and 750,000 square feet of inventory, using a spreadsheet. Now, we just do random audits. In a row of 800 bins, our last audit showed a .07% discrepancy. The improved accuracy is priceless.”

The system is also extremely easy to train and use. Durable Superior Casters has team members for whom English is their second language, yet the system is so simple, they were able to pick up a handheld and, within a 10-15 minute training session, take off and go use it.

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE SCANCO ENGINE TO LET THE SYSTEM TO THE WORK

Now that Durable Superior Casters has achieved stabilization of the actual inventory numbers, has capitalized on scale efficiencies, and has years of mapping and learning how the system can work for them, they are at a point where the computer can take over some of the mapping, managing, and directing. They are excited to take advantage of the Scanco engine with features such as wave picking, wave putting, directed pick, and directed put away.

Steven concluded, “Scanco is amazing to work with—they have a great solution, a great team, and work very hard to accommodate their customers. I love working with them. We are on their maintenance plan, so access to help is virtually instant when I need it. But they often go above and beyond and will happily connect me with people who aren’t normally available to end users. You can’t beat their level of service!”

To view the entire article, please visit https://scanco.com/success-stories/durable-superior-casters-success-story/

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