Toolots Company News

California State Treasurer, John Chiang, paid a visit to Toolots’ Cerritos headquarters on March 16, 2018, where he spoke to an audience of Toolots employees about his role as State Treasurer and his candidacy for California governor.

After a brief introduction from Toolots CEO, Jason Fu, Chiang began by engaging the audience with a few statistics about California’s economy. “Today we’re producing about 2.5 trillion dollars’ worth of economic activity in this state,” Chiang said.

“We’ve made incredible progress through innovative leaders and smart hardworking workers. We are an innovative economy,” he continued. Chiang then briefed the audience on his current role as California State Treasurer. “We invest our state’s money,” Chiang said. “On a daily basis, we’re investing 65-85 billion dollars of your money. Each year, we process 2 trillion dollars’ worth of transactions.”

“I chair twelve economic development authorities; I finance things from mental health, to hospitals, to EV charging stations, to advanced manufacturing, to affordable housing,” Chiang continued.

Chiang also touched on California potentially regaining its position as the fifth largest economy in the world, as it currently holds place of the 6th largest economy in the world. He said the state’s perspective on trade differs from that of Washington’s as California is a firm advocate of a global economy.

Chiang then took some time to respond to questions from Toolots employees. When asked about his achievements as State Treasurer, Chiang said, “I’m really proud of the fact that, today, California builds more affordable housing.” He added that he also helped sue misbehaving insurance companies to return hundreds of millions of dollars back to Californians.

“As potential governor of California, what are some top issues you want to address?” another Toolots employee asked.

Chiang indicated that his top priority is education. In particular, he wants the state to invest in early childhood education. “They say that up until third grade, you’re learning to read. After that, you’re reading to learn. If you can’t read, you’re not learning. It has huge implications for our criminal justice system. It has huge implications for every one of us to compete in a global economy,” Chiang said.

“We all have to keep learning; our jobs will look different 10 years from now; the world looks very different 10 years from now,” Chiang continued, adding that he has also pushed for creating a financial backstop so that graduates of higher education can renegotiate their student loan rates. “Education’s number one, [then] home ownership, good jobs, and a clean and healthy environment,” Chiang said.

A fundraising event was held on March 4, 2018 in Los Angeles County for California Treasurer and gubernatorial candidate John Chiang. Over 30 people attended the event in Encino to hear Chiang speak about education, affordable housing, and other top issues of his campaign.

Katie Zhan, a senior at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School and founder of GMT International Leadership Training Camp, had the opportunity to ask Chiang about his plans for education reform. “How do we obtain, train, and retain?” asked Zhan, referring to the mission of her organization, which hopes to alleviate California’s decline in teacher training.

As a proponent of investing in early education programs, Chiang described his focus on addressing California’s increasing teacher shortages by helping to keep the education profession sustainable and attractive.

“There is nothing more important than educating a child,” Chiang said, explaining why he believes it will be imperative for teachers to get the compensation and professional development they need.

Chiang also answered questions about other central issues in his campaign, including affordable housing. “Over the next ten years, I want to make sure we build more housing, so that we have housing available for 4 million Californians,” said Chiang.

-----Reported by Joe Xu, Toolots Media Group

Examining the growing ugly Christmas sweater market for SMEs and entrepreneurs on National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day, and the importance of the U.S. textile industry.

CERRITOS, California- December 15, 2017- Since 2011 the U.S. has celebrated National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day on every third Friday of December to commemorate eccentric, gaudy, or vintage sweaters for Christmas and winter Holidays.  Two decades after these sweaters originally became popular in the 1980s, the once small ugly Christmas sweater market now generates millions of dollars year round.

Toolots employees in their ugly Christmas sweaters.

Ugly Christmas sweaters and related products can be categorized in the U.S. textile industry.  According to the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), the U.S. textile industry collectively comprises “…yarn and fabric manufacturers, suppliers in the cotton, wool, and man-made fiber sectors, dyers, printers, and finishers, the machinery and textile chemical industries, [and] customers in the U.S. apparel industry.”  As the leader in textile R&D globally, the U.S. has increased productivity of its textile mills by roughly 52% since 2000 and had $74.4 billion in shipment value in 2016.  Aside from creating ugly holiday sweaters, the U.S. textile industry is also responsible for manufacturing and producing advanced fiber products such as antimicrobial fibers, recycled polyester fibers, fire-retardant fibers, and more.  Additionally, the U.S. textile industry provides U.S. Armed Forces with over 8,000 textile products including, but not limited to, uniforms, ship composites, ropes and cables, ammunition pouches, and parachutes.  Furthermore, the NCTO reports that the volume of items provided to the military can vary depending on activity and engagement, and most recently has ranged between $1.8 billion to more than $2.2 billion.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Statistics Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings Workers (51-6099)

Following severe imports during the 1990s, a significant number of the U.S. textile and apparel industry’s annual profit currently derives from holiday shopping at the end of the year.  Data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau for the 2016 Holiday Season found that 21.8% of Clothing Stores’ annual profit came from holiday sales completed in November and December alone.  Similarly, holiday sales were roughly 23.7% of Department Stores’ annual profit, and 22.5% respectively for Discount Department Stores in 2016.

For SMEs in the ugly Christmas sweater business, a seasonal hobby that may have made them several hundred or several thousand dollars now has the potential to generate millions of dollars in profits.  Despite major retailers and fashion designers entering into the market, SMEs and entrepreneurs generate a significant amount of revenue by using e-commerce stores to sell their vintage, licensed, or customized sweaters.  For example, the Ugly Christmas Sweater Kit saw a sales increase of 1,000% just in 2013, the UglyChristmasSweater.com made $4.8 million in 2015, and the Tipsy Elves increased their revenue to $14 million last year from initial sales of roughly $900,000 in 2013.

About Toolots

Toolots, headquartered in Cerritos, California, offers an online marketplace and international distribution channel for factory-direct industrial tools, machinery, and manufacturing technology. Our user-friendly platform provides fast, easy access to high-quality, affordable equipment for manufacturers. More than a simple distribution channel, Toolots provides comprehensive services for companies around the world who produce the industrial machinery and equipment we sell, helping streamline the marketing, omni-channel sales, warehousing, fulfillment and after-sales service. On the customer end, Toolots simplifies the purchase, delivery, installation and warranty of industrial technology, machinery and components, and upholds product quality through a vetted network of vendors and service technicians. The company’s dedication to fostering international trade relations passes on cost savings to the consumer, contributes to reduced downtime, improves productivity and expands a manufacturer’s reach. Toolots has strategically located warehouses, showrooms, and offices across the United States, China and as of May 2017, has expanded into Taiwan. For more information visit us online at www.toolots.com.

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Toolots CEO Jason Fu (right) with Vice CEO XiaoLiong Li (left).

Toolots recently hosted executives from the China Hi-Tech Group Corporation, a Chinese textile manufacturing company, for in depth talks regarding global manufacturing and trade.

CERRITOS, California- December 5, 2017- Toolots, an online platform and marketplace for factory-direct industrial tools, machinery, and supply, hosted esteemed guests from the China Hi-Tech Group Corporation (CHTC) on November 29^th.  The purpose of their visit was to discuss international trade, the textile industry, and how Toolots’ innovative business model can streamline global e-commerce.

According to the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) the U.S. textile industry employed over half a million workers, and had an overall value of $74.4 billion in shipments in 2016.  The same year, the U.S. exported roughly $26.3 billion and globally was the forth largest exporter of textile products.   Of these countries, China was the third largest export market for the U.S. totaling $1.8 billion, including Macau and Hong Kong.  China Energy Group, the Energy Analysis and Environmental Impacts Division of the U.S. Department of Energy, found China supplies the world with 40% of its textile and clothing products, therefore ranking it as the #1 exporter of textiles in the world.  Furthermore, with over 24,000 enterprises in China operating in textile and apparel manufacturing and supply, the textile industry is the largest manufacturing industry in the country.

Toolots and CHTC Executives examine products from Toolots' showroom in Cerritos, CA.

One of the largest textile enterprises in China is the CHTC which employs over 60,000 workers, has 23 direct subsidiaries, operates in 20 provinces in China, and has additional offices in over 20 countries and regions.  Founded in 1998 under supervision of the State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC), the CHTC focuses on the production of textile machinery, commercial vehicles, and textile materials and trade.  As one of the company’s six business units, CHTC’s fiber material subdivision is currently focusing on the development of high-tech, environmentally friendly fibers to be used in a variety of industries.

Toolots Executives give CHTC executives a tour of their headquarters and warehouse.

CHTC’s meeting with Toolots first began with a tour of their Cerritos headquarters, including the company’s 128,000 square foot warehouse, showroom, and office.  With over 17 years of experience in industry supply through sister company Bolton Tools, Toolots CEO and Founder Jason Fu discussed the company’s desire strives to promote cross-border e-commerce between the U.S. and China.  As one component of the business model, Fu explained, Toolots helps U.S. manufacturing companies establish a brand in China while also helping Chinese manufacturers create a brand in the U.S. as well.  An example of this can be found in Himalia, the legally registered U.S. entity of Haida, which created a brand of plastic injection molding machines tailored to fit U.S. manufacturers’ technical specifications and needs.

Toolots and CHTC during their open discussions regarding global commerce and the textile industry.

CHTC and Toolots executives then began open discussions regarding the state of global manufacturing, and the possibility for future partnerships to improve global commerce. Fu discussed how digital marketing, social media, and email marketing strategies can be used in the global manufacturing community to increase brand awareness and drive sales for manufacturing companies.  He explained that smaller manufacturing companies often are used to traditional sales through word of mouth or brick and mortar establishments.  Conversely, SMEs familiar with digital marketing often don’t have the budget for it after paying overheard costs.  Fu then highlighted several components of Toolots’ comprehensive services like adwords, advertising, and YuuTool, that make the company unique and offer partnered SMEs access to affordable solutions.

About Toolots

Toolots, headquartered in Cerritos, California, offers an online marketplace and international distribution channel for factory-direct industrial tools, machinery, and manufacturing technology. Our user-friendly platform provides fast, easy access to high-quality, affordable equipment for manufacturers. More than a simple distribution channel, Toolots provides comprehensive services for companies around the world who produce the industrial machinery and equipment we sell, helping streamline the marketing, omni-channel sales, warehousing, fulfillment and after-sales service. On the customer end, Toolots simplifies the purchase, delivery, installation and warranty of industrial technology, machinery and components, and upholds product quality through a vetted network of vendors and service technicians. The company’s dedication to fostering international trade relations passes on cost savings to the consumer, contributes to reduced downtime, improves productivity and expands a manufacturer’s reach. Toolots has strategically located warehouses, showrooms, and offices across the United States, China and as of May 2017, has expanded into Taiwan. For more information visit us online at www.toolots.com.

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Veterans have a wealth of skills and experience that make them qualified candidates in advanced manufacturing roles.

CERRITOS, California- November 10, 2017- For over 98 years, the U.S. has celebrated military veterans on November 11th first as Armistice Day in 1918 to commemorate the end of World War I, and then as Veterans Day after it was renamed in 1954.  Today, the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs defines Veterans Day as "the celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good."  According to a survey conducted by the United States Census Bureau in 2013, over 21.3 million veterans resided in the United States and Puerto Rico.  Furthermore, due to the nature of the military and the constant necessity to resolve problems, many of these veterans often return with a wide variety of valuable skills.

With an expected 2 million jobs to be left unfilled by 2025 due to a growing skills gap, a wealth of opportunities for veterans potentially lie in the U.S. manufacturing industry.  Currently over 80% of manufacturers believe they are unable to find candidates qualified enough to fill skilled or highly skilled roles.  Yet many veterans develop an assortment of science, math, engineering, critical thinking, conflict resolution, data analysis, and technology skills essential and extremely desirable to manufacturing companies just like STEM educated candidates.

“Veterans have a lot of skills, but we’re also unique because we all specialized in a certain field while enlisted,” Toolots IT Manager and veteran Manny Aparicio stated.  He continued by explaining hiring vets creates a “win-win scenario for companies” because veterans often possess a variety of desirable traits, such as integrity and a respect for procedures, that they bring to the company in addition to their skill sets.  The major issue however lies in matching experience and skills to ensure candidates and companies find the right fit for each role.

“Many vets have legitimate trade skills, but aren’t officially licensed or certified,” Toolots Warehouse Representative, Forklift Master, and veteran Sam Campos explained when considering some of the barriers veterans face when returning home.  Campos continued by discussing a “communication gap” between civilians and veterans that makes it difficult to understand how a veteran’s military experience can relate or be used to fulfill civilian responsibilities.  According to Campos, this “gap” often causes veterans to believe they have no transferable experience, and must start over from square one.

“Whether you worked on diesel engines or planes, you [the veteran] have been taught basic knowledge, you have a foundation which can be expanded and used elsewhere,” Campos elaborated.  Similarly, Manny Aparicio stated that the key to success for veterans in the manufacturing industry lies in the skills gained during their service.  “It’s all about the ability to repackage [your] skills,” Aparicio explained.

In fact, several organizations and programs have been established throughout the U.S. specifically to help veterans reuse, or build upon, their preexisting skill set.  For example, Get Skills to Work, a coalition of manufacturing companies and colleges assisting veterans in obtaining and retaining careers in advanced manufacturing, offers resources like their Fast Track for Heroes programs which help veterans use their existing skill set to quickly earn the certifications and licenses.  This resolves the issue of accreditation, and many of the courses can be completed in a week to a month.  Additionally, the coalition offers a digital badge program that pairs Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) codes with civilian manufacturing jobs, which essentially correlates military experience with civilian industry experience.

“Vets should know that they can use their skills, they don’t need to start over from square one,” Sam Campos stated.

With the approaching skills gap and continued growth of the manufacturing industry, veterans and manufacturing companies can mutually benefit from increased veteran employment within the industry.  Manufacturing companies receive desirable, qualified workers, and veterans obtain the opportunity to pursue long-term careers in the growing industry.  However, the issue lies in ensuring veterans recognize their own abilities, most of which are equivalent to civilian STEM educations, and use them in advanced manufacturing roles.

“The transition [after service] is overwhelming, but helping them be aware of the options they have [in manufacturing] is great,” Campos concluded.

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Bringing awareness to the importance of STEM programs, and how the skills they teach students may encourage the next generation of manufacturers. 

CERRITOS, California- November 8, 2017- The U.S. Department of Education created the STEM program several years ago to bolster global leadership through increased study of science, technology, engineering, and math subjects in K-12 schools. The goal of the program is to help students throughout the U.S. develop essential working skills such as problem solving, the ability to gather and analyze evidence, interpretation of information, and more. To celebrate STEM and bring awareness to these programs, National STEM Day is celebrated on November 8th each year across the U.S. 

While STEM students will have the opportunity to join any industry after graduation, a number of opportunities lie in the growing industrial and manufacturing industries. Estimates show roughly 3.5 million jobs  will be created over the next ten years, however current projections estimate that 2 million of those will not be filled due to a growing skills gap. Additionally, 80% of the manufacturing workforce needs skilled or highly skilled individuals to fill job roles, which STEM or Career Technical Education (CTE) students could potentially fill after graduation. Furthermore, according to the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), every dollar spent in the manufacturing industry results in $1.89 put back into the U.S. economy. Thus, STEM students who pursue careers in the manufacturing field will also help support the U.S. economy as a whole.  

Furthermore, in a study conducted by Georgetown University examining online job ads, STEM occupations accounted for roughly 28% of college online ads, and grew twice as fast as all other job ad fields. With the need for STEM educated students growing, one of the best ways to support these programs is to get involved at the local level. Active participation supporting STEM programs can range from speaking to students on career days, sponsoring events, or offering internships and job shadowing opportunities. Toolots for example, is proud to offer students summer internships and to have sponsored events encouraging innovation and education about careers in manufacturing throughout our local community and ABC Unified School District.  

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Toolots is happy to announce the addition of  a new vendor, Sharp Industries, to our e-commerce marketplace and Global Commerce Services initiative! Based in Torrance, California, Sharp manufactures and sells precision machine tools. Sharp’s products are currently available on Toolots.com for sale to customers located domestically in the U.S. and internationally in China.  

Sharp's premium vertical knee mill has more precise lateral movement and can work demanding jobs for longer periods of time.

With over 40 years of experience in the industry, Sharp has supplied over 150, 000 machines worldwide to a variety of businesses in need of quality equipment and tools. Sharp's products include manual and CNC machine equipment such as lathes, mills, saws, surface grinders, vertical and horizontal CNC machine centers, CNC boring lathes, OD grinders, and more. To reduce costly downtime and repairs, Sharp keeps a majority of replacement parts in stock and will ship within 24 hours after an order is placed. 

Sharp's manual precision lathe is equipped with a geared headstock and a triple bearing support system.

In addition to its manufacturing and shipping capabilities, Sharp strives to offer its customers exceptional after-sales services. Currently the company has network of over 200 service dealers offering technical support, accessories, and genuine spare parts. Sharp also offers a one year warranty for its products including digital read out controls, and a two year warranty on parts and labor for FANUC controls. Furthermore, Sharp is committed to providing its customers with the necessary knowledge and expertise to use its products as safely and efficiently as possible. Due to this, Sharp offers operators training, tooling advisory, CNC programming, and more through both its in-house teams and partnered service providers. 

Toolots is proud to offer our domestic and international customers manual and CNC precision machine tools through the inclusion of Sharp Industries! For purchasing information, please visit Sharp’s marketplace on Toolots.com. 

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How additive manufacturing is being used to improve production and reduce costs in traditional manufacturing 

CERRITOS, California- October 26,2017- Since its creation in the 1980s additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, has gained recognition within the traditional manufacturing and industrial industries due to its versatility and cost-effective applications. Originally, models were printed layer by layer using photopolymer resins as material and commonly used for prototyping. However in modern day printing, models can be made from a variety of materials such as carbon fiber, magnetic, metal, clay, biodegradable, and many more. 3D printing is used in a multitude of industries to create prosthetic limbs in the medical field, components for aerospace construction, and tools to improve the manufacturing industry.  

Through traditional manufacturing, an engineer would create a computer model of an engine manifold and wait about four months for a $500,000 prototype. With 3D printing, multiple iterations of the same component takes four days and cost[s] $3,000. -Jim Joyce, Deloitte 

For manufacturing SMEs, 3D printers offer cost saving alternatives in various production processes. During machining for example, segments of a material are removed to create a part, therefore creating scrap. Conversely, scrap is significantly eliminated when the same part is made using a 3D printer because material is added, layer by layer, instead of being removed. Essentially, 3D printed parts are usually made in one uniform piece, thereby increasing the parts' durability and overall strength. Thus, by printing the part in one piece, the part is lighter in weight and reduces the need for assembly. Furthermore, the computer-aided design (CAD) files for parts saves costs in both labor and resources that previously may have been dedicated to dies and fixtures. CAD files can also be altered or paused mid-print to make design revisions when necessary. Additionally, one of the major benefits of 3D printing is ease of use for the operator when printing two or more products with vastly different designs.  Currently, manufacturing companies use 3D printing for part replacement, cheaper prototyping, complex tool fabrication, and more.  Manufacturers and machine operators are able to download or design CAD files to print replacement parts in a matter of hours. This can significantly reduce production down time, and the same layer by layer construction process that reduces scrap also allows more elaborate tools and parts to be printed. During machining, these same designs might be too elaborate or time consuming to create. In addition, during the prototyping process various models can more easily be printed and revised, therefore consuming less resources. 

While the complexities of 3D printing may be daunting, Toolots is positioned to help SMEs or hobbyists explore additive manufacturing through its latest product, the Desktop Mini ISEE 3D Printer. The ISEE can be powered by a 12V power source and includes PLA filaments, a biodegradable thermoplastic made from renewable resources like corn starch. PLA is one of the easiest filaments to work with, making the ISEE and its simpler design perfect for beginners. Learn more about purchasing the ISEE 3D Printer.

To learn more about the ISEE, or for purchasing information, click here. 

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Toolots is pleased to announce the addition of  a new vendor, DTC Products., to our E-Commerce marketplace and Global Commerce Services initiative! Based in St. Charles, Illinois, DTC designs and manufactures jigs, tools, fixtures, and dies. DTC’s products are currently available on Toolots.com for sale to customers located domestically in the U.S. and internationally in China.  

DTC's Slug Retention Machine comes with an adjustable light, a carrying case, and multiple grinder bits and accessories. At just 10 lbs, it can easily be used by a single person with just 90 PSI of compressed air to operate.

DTC designs, manufactures, and distributes industrial products like tools, grooving wheels, grind sleeves, and ABS sensor holders. Currently the company is the manufacturer of the Slug Retention Machine, which is a pneumatic powered grinder that machines a groove into the sidewall of the die cavity in a stamping die. This prevents slugs from pulling onto the die surface, which may result in damage to the metal strip on the surface, the stamping die, or the stamped part. Essentially, the Slug Retention Machine helps increase productivity and efficiency by reducing labor costs and time spent sorting through parts to find slug marks, while also eliminating the need to stop the machine and remove slugs off of the die and stripper surface. Additionally, the machine can be used to vent die stripper openings and add grooves to die bushings and die inserts.  

Toolots is excited to offer our domestic and international customers industrial products and the Slug Machine through the inclusion of DTC Products! For purchasing information, visit DTC’s marketplace on Toolots.com. 

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Toolots is proud to announce the addition of  a new vendor, Eoslift USA Corporation, to our e-commerce marketplace and Global Commerce Services initiative! Based in Ontario, California, Eoslift designs, manufactures, and distributes high quality material handling equipment. Eoslift’s products are currently available on Toolots.com for sale to customers located domestically in the U.S. and internationally in China.  

Stock of Eoslift's fork lifts in their manufacturing facility.

All of Eoslift's products are designed by their in-house R&D engineering team, and include drum pickers, manual and electric pallet stackers, scissor lift table carts, manual and electric pallet trucks, fork lift extensions, and more. Since 1999, the company has distributed its products, with over 150 property rights, globally using its distribution facilities located strategically throughout the U.S. This year, Eoslift was awarded the 2017 Best of Ontario Award in the Material Handling Equipment category by the Ontario Award Program for its continued commitment to creating high quality products and generating long-term value in the city of Ontario.  

Eoslift Semi-Electric Stacker is energy efficient and perfect for narrow aisles or spaces.

A proud member of the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA Group), Eoslift has an independent, in-house Q&C team to monitor and assess the quality and production of all products. Additionally, to ensure the quality of each product, all members of the production line are trained and qualified to use CNC machines, precision laser cutting, and automatic robotic welding and spraying lines. 

Toolots is happy to offer our domestic and international customers high quality material handling equipment through the inclusion of Eoslift USA Corporation! For purchasing information, visit Eoslift’s marketplace on Toolots.com. 

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