The Future of Manufacturing
SendCutSend started out making parts for “guys in their garages.” Today, the company works with around 60 percent of the Fortune 500.
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Here are today’s highlights:
A two-person boutique law firm demonstrates how AI is changing the practice of law.
President Trump says the government needs months to consider what it will do about tariff refunds.
The price of energy, not surprisingly, is surging.
In the latest 21 Hats Podcast, three owners explain why they’re taking AI courses, teaching courses, building agents, and rethinking their processes.
MANUFACTURING
Is SendCutSend the future of manufacturing? “Jim Belosic walks the factory floor in Reno, Nevada, surrounded by laser beams. He turns a piece of steel over in his hands, a homemade fidget toy that accompanies him as he takes in the mountains of metal before him. Belosic is the co-founder and CEO of SendCutSend, a company that makes bespoke parts and that’s earned a reputation as the Etsy of steel. ‘Sometimes we get mistaken for a Chinese company,’ he says. ‘People are like, you’re so cheap and you’re so fast, how are you doing this in the U.S.?’”
“He began tinkering with software that would help smaller shops accommodate requests like his, but no one was interested. Still, he persisted. In 2018, he took a risk and financed a $750,000 laser machine (with his wife’s blessing). He figured if other hobbyists wanted to DIY their own parts, he’d be able to rent out the machine to at least cover his costs.”
“At first, he was making parts for what he calls ‘guys in their garages.’ It turns out those hobbyists also had day jobs. Word of mouth began to spread and, today, the company works with ~60 percent of Fortune 500 companies. Nine out of 10 private rocket launch companies have used SendCutSend, too.”
“Belosic describes the company as a job shop on steroids. They operate their three factories (in Paris, Kentucky; Arlington, Texas; and Reno, Nevada) on a 24/7 schedule and each of their machines’ backups have backups to ensure they’re able to keep up with demand.”
“The way it works is this: A customer submits a design. SendCutSend selects the right material, or returns the design to the customer with suggested alterations. A laser cuts the metal to the specs provided. Then it heads to the production floor for tapping (poking holes, or threads, for screws) or bending. From there, it’s powder-coated and packed for delivery.” READ MORE
