Success Stories

Marsh Electronics is a proud partner of Leonardo DRS, a leader in the defense industry. With Marsh’s outstanding quality delivery metrics, we slowly earned additional business, becoming a single, proactive source in a key product segment.

About Leonardo DRS

Based out of Arlington, VA, Leonardo DRS plays a critical role in solutions for the U.S. Department of Defense, where supply inefficiencies pose significant security risks. In order to reliably deliver next-generation solutions for U.S. and allied customers, it was imperative that Leonardo DRS strengthen supplier partnerships to increase efficiencies and streamline production.

The Challenge

For defense contractors, any slack or friction with a vendor threatens the viability of hard-won military contracts. Any one of the following supplier issues posed a significant challenge to Leonardo DRS:

• Missed delivery deadlines
• Unmet quality standards
• Lacking communication and support
• Insufficient technical capacities

The Marsh Electronics Solution

Leonardo DRS chose Marsh to harden their supply chain. Leveraging our robust turnkey inventory solutions and extensive experience serving as a supplier for critical industries, we worked to support Leonardo DRS and their unique production needs. We developed a plan to provide consistent product quality and dependable performance, both essential for the military’s stringent technical and quality control standards. Our extensive logistics and support services further secured timely delivery for even the most complex project timelines.

What Sets Marsh Apart

Our joint success inspired M.D. to reflect on Marsh Electronics’ keystone advantage:

“Marsh’s team is passionate about problem-solving- they go all-in to address the issue. They understand that our goal is one and the same.”

Through close collaboration, we learned that Leonardo DRS was also impressed with several other operational cornerstones that define our company, including:

• Technical expertise
• A ‘mutual benefit’ mindset
• Embedded partnerships that go beyond traditional vendor relationships

One Team, One Mission

M.D. further emphasized Marsh’s critical role for the ongoing success of both companies:

“They [Marsh] are an extension of our supply chain and are as integral to our success as any of our colleagues.”

This can be attributed to our depth of collaboration, founded on a culture of mutual organizational trust.

Award-Winning Performance

These are just several of the advantages we bring to the table daily for defense contractors like Leonardo DRS. as Leonardo’s Senior Buyer, M. D. stated: “They’re winning DRS Supply Chain Operational Excellence awards while they do it.”

Looking Ahead

Having laid the foundation for greater inventory and supplier management, we are excited to explore new opportunities to help Leonardo DRS simplify other key business functions. In going beyond basic standards and viewing challenges as opportunities for improving operations as a whole, we’re proud to earn a place at Leonardo’s table.

Is your team in need of a supply chain partner who delivers beyond expectations? Let’s talk. Contact our team to learn more about Marsh Electronics and our commitment to lasting and reliable electronics distribution practices.

Problem

A welding technologies company could not keep up with demand for its power packs for robotic welding. The company was building its harnesses in-house.

Solution

The customer consulted Marsh Electronics, and we discovered during the quoting process that the sample harnesses provided did not match the drawings. However, once the customer saw our capabilities, drawings and first articles quality, it chose Marsh Electronics to build multiple harnesses. Overall, this customer received higher quality and competitive pricing on its harnesses. Also, by outsourcing this work to Marsh, the customer could move employees to other areas of the company for more productivity.

Contact Marsh to learn more.

Problem

A recording distributor was looking for a custom touchscreen for its 8” TFT LCD. The customer was attempting to purchase the TFT LCD from a source overseas.

Solution

Marsh Electronics partnered with a supplier to provide not only the touchscreen, but also the 8” TFT LCD, a dual battery pack and three flex PCBA circuits. The customer quickly realized that Marsh and its supplier worked more as an extension of the customer’s engineering/project team than merely another vendor to buy product. Without this support, the customer may not have been able to accomplish its goal as it lacked the engineering resources provided by Marsh and its supplier.

Contact Marsh to learn more.

Problem

A recording distributor was looking for a custom touchscreen for its 8” TFT LCD. The customer was attempting to purchase the TFT LCD from a source overseas.

Solution

Marsh Electronics partnered with a supplier to provide not only the touchscreen, but also the 8” TFT LCD, a dual battery pack and three flex PCBA circuits. The customer quickly realized that Marsh and its supplier worked more as an extension of the customer’s engineering/project team than merely another vendor to buy product. Without this support, the customer may not have been able to accomplish its goal as it lacked the engineering resources provided by Marsh and its supplier.

Contact Marsh to learn more.

Problem

A manufacturer of components for cash handling equipment needed a local source for AC fan assembly replacement and a second source for cable assemblies.

Solution

Marsh Electronics consulted its supplier network and found a source for an AC fan package with connectors for price reduction and local inventory. Marsh also found a local source for the cable/wire assemblies. When the customer changed a cable on one of the assemblies from 60c to 105c mid-stream, MarVac (a division of Marsh Electronics) acted quickly to supply a combination of both cables.

The customer appreciated Marsh’s serviceability, product offering, local inventory and engineering resources – a combination which differentiates Marsh Electronics’ custom solutions from others.

Contact Marsh to learn more.

Problem

A hoist manufacturer had been building assemblies in-house. In all, there were 37 different assemblies, and they had incomplete documentation.

Solution

Marsh Electronics obtained sample assemblies and wiring diagrams from the customer. Along with MarVac, a division of Marsh Electronics, we provided first articles and began shipping assemblies. By moving the assemblies to MarVac, the customer’s production crews could focus their efforts in other areas. The assemblies originally had actual wire markers, which were very labor intensive. The Marsh Electronics/MarVac team converted all the wire markers to hot stamp printing on the cable, saving costs for the customer.

Contact Marsh to learn more.

Problem

A manufacturer needed a solution to replace fluorescent bulb fixtures inside food warming bins used in quick service restaurants. The end customer wanted to create a new retail experience with LED lighting that could withstand 176 F degrees with a color temperature of 2700K. The lighting also needed to be consistent inside the warming bin to produce at least 1400lm across the entire bin.

Solution

The manufacturer needed a supplier with specific engineering expertise. Marsh Electronics consulted one of its design-engineering partners, and the team developed a mounting solution to provide consistent lighting for the warming bin while creating the desired retail experience. Marsh Electronics’ partner company will obtain a patent for this product, as it’s the only one of its kind to meet the temperature requirement of 176F.

The customer was pleasantly surprised with the resulting lighting product. Marsh Electronics and its partners offer unique engineering capabilities for customers who need new designs. Marsh Electronics is truly a custom solution distributor that thinks outside the box (or bin) to create new products.

Contact Marsh to learn more.

Problem

A manufacturer of joint light tactical vehicles (JLTVs) for the U.S. military had problems with vehicle map lights. These included poor light output, substandard quality procedures and metrics from the manufacturer/importer, and a potential issue with a grounding wire connection. The issues threatened the company’s build schedules and reputation, among other concerns.

Solution

As a Tier 1 supplier for this customer, Marsh Electronics was the distributor for the basic, commodity-type map light. Marsh got approval to proceed with a solution largely because of our PPAP capabilities, known processes, trust and strong reputation with the customer.

• Marsh immediately addressed the initial quality issue with an 8D analysis, BEFORE the customer requested it.
• We then procured a stable supply chain and credible source for a new, extremely bright LED.
• We addressed the substandard crimping from the current supplier and determined that they could no longer supply the wire assemblies integral to the assembly with the repeatability and quality required. MarVac, a division of Marsh Electronics, provided solutions to the wire crimping/terminations, including documentation. Our Level 3 PPAP moved smoothly through the customer’s processes.
• Marsh, with a supplier, also negotiated a lower cost for the raw housing without the LED and procured an LED from a franchised vendor.

Ultimately, the customers were quite satisfied: Marsh quickly identified and handled the problem professionally, with very little interference in the customer’s build schedules.

Contact Marsh to learn more.

Problem

A manufacturer of refrigerators for recreational vehicles had a fan blower supplier that provided poor support and missed deliveries.

Solution

Marsh Electronics evaluated different fan lines, finding one that met the customer’s cost and parameters. Based on the customer’s print, the supplier obtained samples — and did so with excellent service and responsiveness. After discovering a dimension discrepancy on the customer’s print, Marsh worked with the customer’s engineering team, conducted further review and found a fan to fit. Despite a shortened turnaround time, Marsh and its supplier successfully met the delivery requirement.

Contact Marsh to learn more.

Problem

A global leader in manufacturing power quality products had several problems with power factor correction (PFC) caps:

• The supplier of a sole-sourced capacitor line had poor delivery performance, inability to expedite, and inability to grow with the customer’s business.
• Another supplier prompted quality concerns because of exploding caps and severe corrosion.

Solution

Marsh Electronics found a manufacturing source to improve on existing product. Marsh proposed both UL and tooling changes but its proposal also saved money on the program compared to the existing vendor. Marsh and its manufacturing source designed and engineered an entirely new product line. This supplier’s solution had markedly better quality and passed rigorous qualification testing to get print position on single-phase capacitors. This solved earlier design and quality issues.

In addition, Marsh provided logistics and supply chain protection. Our ability to stock, expedite and meet demand resulted in new orders for the customer. Our shipping arrangements offset unit price increases, positioning the customer to decrease total cost of acquisition. Marsh not only solved quality issues but, with fair pricing, we also delivered considerable value to this customer.

Contact Marsh to learn more.

Problem

A welding equipment manufacturer sought instrumentation for its welder/generators that would reduce cost while improving product quality.

Solution

Marsh Electronics worked with the customer as well as a manufacturer and supplier of electronic instruments. They tooled up and customized two unique fuel guages and two distinct hour meter displays. Engineering teams from Marsh and the instrumentation supplier collaborated to test the product using the same process and standards used by the customer before its product leaves the factory. The customer saved cost, consolidated vendors and improved product quality, which was also expected to reduce the number of warranty claims experienced with the previous supplier.

Contact Marsh to learn more.

Problem

A manufacturer needed a local source for cable and wire harness assemblies used in its equipment for material preparation and testing. The company had moved production of its product line from Europe to the Midwestern U.S.

Solution

Marsh Electronics, a preferred supplier for the customer, worked with the manufacturer’s engineering and purchasing teams to make the transition. MarVac, a division of Marsh Electronics, provided quick turnaround on cable assembly estimates and first articles. MarVac’s engineering group also developed a solution to improve the design on one of the customer’s assemblies and reverse-engineered the design. The customer has relied on Marsh Electronics to continuously improve service and product lines as both parties build their long-term business relationship.

Contact Marsh to learn more.

Problem

As a leading global commercial laundry manufacturer redesigned its 2017 equipment models, it sought a better performing cooling fan for controls at a low price. The company contacted Marsh Electronics. After establishing a price point, Marsh obtained fan samples and began testing them with the customer’s engineering team.

Solution

MarVac, a division of Marsh Electronics, sourced a raw fan from a reputable supplier and added a connector to match the customer’s need. MarVac supplied an initial lot of 40 fans for engineering testing. The customer later needed additional fans for in-field pilot testing and agency approvals. MarVac worked again with its supplier to provide a low volume of fans so the customer could complete testing. MarVac then began shipping the fans in time for production.

With the new fans, the customer improved fan output compared to fans used on previous models, and at a better price point. The customer also was able to consolidate its fan source into one existing supplier – Marsh Electronics.

• Improved performance
• Cost savings
• Value solution with MarVac Assembly
• Vendor consolidation

Contact Marsh to learn more.

Problem

A food service equipment manufacturer was transitioning from traditional lighting such as fluorescents, incandescents and screw-in LED bulbs in its cabinetry applications. With this type of lighting becoming obsolete, the company needed state-of-the-art lighting for three different applications, each one requiring the right brightness output – at the right price.

Solution

Marsh Electronics worked with leading LED manufacturer OptoElectronix™, along with the customer, to determine and specify the lighting needs. Marsh sales and engineering staff, along with the OptoElectronix team, produced a high-quality, bright LED fixture that would serve all three applications: the OptoElectronix ULE28000 Series Light Engine.

The compact, thermally managed unit delivers high brightness output with high-quality LEDs and optics at relatively low cost. The cost savings were achieved by utilizing one lighting product for all three applications. In addition, LEDs inherently consume far less power than traditional lighting. The OptoElectronix LED fixtures also eliminate the fear of product obsolescence, as the fixtures have a very long operational life expectancy and a design that is easily upgraded as customer needs change. These units also carry a 5-year warranty. Overall, this solution significantly reduced costs for the customer.

Learn more about OptoElectronix.

Contact Marsh to learn more about lighting solutions.

Problem

A manufacturer of food service equipment was having quality problems with backlighting components for its signage. The customer was using LED strip lighting and experiencing a 4 percent rejection rate. This quality issue rapidly drove up costs while reducing reliability and productivity.

Solution

Marsh Electronics suggested that the customer work with OptoElectronix, a world leader in LED lighting design and manufacturing. Marsh sales and engineering staff consulted with OptoElectronix and designed a new product, the ULE19000 Series LED Light Strip. OptoElectronix quickly delivered prototype samples to the customer, and Marsh soon obtained a production order. The new strip lighting from OptoElectronix provides considerably higher quality, superior light distribution and lower cost for the customer.

The OptoElectronix LED strip lighting has completely eliminated the quality and failure issues for the customer. The new lighting is designed specifically for use in cost-effective applications. High-performing LEDs are mounted on heat-dissipative, aluminum substrate PC board. The units are thermally clad and conformally coated to prevent moisture damage – essential in food service environments. The lighting strips are paired with a quality LED driver. The LED strips are rigorously tested and include a 5-year warranty. After supplying more than 15,000 OptoElectronix ULE19000 LED light strips to the customer, Marsh did not experienced a single failure or rejection.

Learn more about OptoElectronix.

Contact Marsh to learn more about lighting solutions.