Supply chain decisions have become more complex for buyers, weighing price, quality, timing, and sourcing risk. According to a report, supply chain volatility tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical dynamics, trade tensions, rising costs, labor shortages, and natural disasters has pushed organizations toward strategies that balance cost with resilience. For Susan Ralph, president of Frey & Weiss Precision Machining, that shift is visible in how customers evaluate work that depends on skill, certification, and repeatability.
Founded in 1969, Frey & Weiss Precision Machining, Inc. is a Wood Dale, Illinois-based precision manufacturing company that produces close-tolerance machined parts to customer specifications. The company specializes in CNC turning, multi-axis milling, mechanical assembly, laser marking, and additional processes. According to the company, its work serves markets where precision is important, including aerospace, medical, environmental, conveyor, commercial, and industrial applications.
Ralph says the current market has placed pressure on manufacturers that are expected to control costs while maintaining technical standards. "Customers still need good pricing, but precision work carries real costs because materials, capital, CNC equipment, highly skilled labor, and quality systems all matter," Ralph says. From her perspective, the question for some buyers is less about finding the lowest number and more about identifying a vendor able to support the part, the process, and the documentation behind it.
Linda Rosenberg, vice president of Frey & Weiss, says certification and compliance expectations are becoming a larger part of the conversation for manufacturers serving regulated or highly technical sectors. "More certification is coming, and it takes investment before a company ever knows whether the work will follow," Rosenberg says.
She notes that quality systems may open doors, yet the value comes from pairing those systems with disciplined production, clear communication, and people who understand the work at the machine level.
That team-based knowledge is central to how Ralph frames the company's range. She says Frey & Weiss can handle simpler milling and turning projects while also supporting more involved white-label work, mechanical assembly, and complex components.
Ralph explains that Frey & Weiss supports projects requiring multi-axis CNC machining, high-speed spindle systems, 4th axis capability, and detailed 3D modeling processes across industrial and aerospace-related applications. From her perspective, some of the company's more intricate work has involved components requiring thousands of precision drilling points within a single part, reflecting the level of complexity the team is prepared to handle.
"We may be the people up front, but the work only happens because of the whole team," Ralph says. She points to employees with decades of experience as a major part of the company's ability to interpret drawings, manage details, and produce intricate parts. According to Ralph, that combination of experience and flexibility is why the company is exploring a broader role as an extension for larger machine shops that need reliable outside machining support.
Rosenberg says the company has also been investing in systems that make work more visible across the organization. "We are digital now, and that gives the floor more transparency around what is happening, what our goals are, and where we are going," she says.
She explains that Frey & Weiss has used ERP software to support communication, sustain quality processes, and reduce reliance on paper-based production trails. AI, she adds, is still an area the company is studying as manufacturing software introduces new capabilities.
The emphasis on visibility aligns with broader manufacturing discussions about resilience and smart operations. The report shows that enhanced visibility, generative AI, and smart operations can help manufacturers improve efficiency and manage supply chain risk.
Ralph says Frey & Weiss sees transparency less as a technology slogan and more as an operating discipline that helps employees understand priorities and helps customers gain confidence in how work moves through the shop.
As the company looks ahead, Ralph and Rosenberg frame Frey & Weiss Precision Machining as an integrator for industrial clients that need machining expertise, assembly support, and process accountability. "We are looking for the right partners, because the right partner aligns with the kind of product we can serve well," Rosenberg says.
Ralph explains the opportunity in practical terms. "We are still here, we want to work, and we want customers to know that a smaller team with the right systems and experience can still deliver meaningful manufacturing support."
