Capitalize on tariff-free machinery

By Jenny Yu.  

Navigating the new normal that tariff changes bring to the metal roofing industry. 

In a recent MetalCast™ episode, Karen Edwards spoke with Ronnie Pollack, vice president of sales and marketing for CIDAN Machinery Group, about the unique opportunity to capitalize on their tariff-exempt machines.  Since 1907, CIDAN Machinery has served as a one-stop partner for the industrial fabrication, sign manufacturing and architectural and roofing industries.   

With a background in automotive automation, Ronnie took his expertise to explore the automation potential in CIDAN and the metal roofing industry. He shared that CIDAN’s focus is to use automation to create products that have customers’ immediate and future needs in mind. “What we want to focus on are solutions for where going to be two to three years from now,” Ronnie stated. “How to make their output as optimal as possible and with as few of touches as possible so that their staff can be doing other things like selling or preparing orders to ship.” 

Part of considering their customers’ present and future operations includes meeting the issue that has been looming: the impact of tariffs. With the constant changes, the volatility is enough to make many businesses unsure of their strategy going forward, particularly in making large machinery investments. 

“We don't know what tomorrow's going to bring,” Ronnie admitted. “I do think in the next couple of months we're going to land on what I will call the new normal. So, whatever that tariff fee is, that will be just the new standard. And it's all based on country. So China tariffs are different than Sweden tariffs, or Switzerland or wherever. So I think there'll be various new normals, not just for our industry, but for all industries ordering machinery internationally.” 

Tariffs have the potential to significantly affect the cost of metal fabrication machines. For example, if tariffs are raised 5% or more, a $150,000 product would could result in $7500 cost increase. That’s why getting your hands on a tariff-free machine now may be in the best interest of your business. Luckily, CIDAN was able to house some inventory just before the April 5 deadline, making them “tariff-free” (historical tariffs still apply).  

Several customers have already jumped on the opportunity to take advantage of the tariff-free machines, so now is the time to act if you want a discounted machine in today’s current market. “We have machinery from shears and folders — new and used — that are tariff-free. And we have a little north of 15  machines in inventory.”  

Read the transcript, Listen to the podcast or Watch the webinar to learn more about CIDAN’s tariff-free machinery.