Most companies don’t market internationally. Few have searchable catalogs or quoting tools. And while many possess advanced machinery and technical expertise, their visibility within global sourcing networks is limited. This disconnect has long constrained access to China’s manufacturing depth. But new tools are emerging to bridge the gap.
At Haizol Marketplace, we’ve built a platform designed to make these custom manufacturing companies more accessible. By organising supplier information around technical strengths, rather than brand recognition or geography, we’re helping businesses worldwide identify qualified factories faster and with greater confidence.
The Scale Behind the Surface
China is home to over four million small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMEs).
Together, they:
- Employ more than 80% of the industrial workforce.
- Hold the majority of national manufacturing patents.
- Produce the bulk of components used across machinery, electronics, automotive, and more.
Yet these workshops are often confined to narrow industry roles, serve a limited set of clients, and operate in silos. Even within tightly packed regional clusters, collaboration is rare. And while many are technically sophisticated, their online presence is minimal, making them difficult for industrial companies in the United Kingdom to find or evaluate.
Structural Challenges that Limit Global Access
In an interview earlier this year, Haizol CEO Sherry She Ying outlined three persistent patterns that keep capable manufacturers disconnected from global demand:
- Narrow Industry Focus: Most workshops serve just one sector. Even when they have multi-purpose equipment, they rarely venture beyond their core domain.
- Lack of Collaboration: In regions like Dongguan or Suzhou, hundreds of small custom manufacturing companies may sit within a few kilometers of each other. Yet they rarely coordinate or pool capacity for complex orders.
- Limited Online Visibility: Without digital quoting tools or searchable profiles, most SMEs depend on intermediates. This adds cost, delays information flow, and reduces transparency for overseas sourcing teams.
The outcome is a mismatch: companies searching for reliable, high-quality suppliers, and suppliers with untapped capacity, unable to be found.
Turning Supplier Search into a Data Match
At Haizol Marketplace, we’ve built our platform to address this disconnect in custom parts sourcing from China. Our goal is to make it easier for international buyers to connect with the right suppliers. Based not on visibility, but on verified technical capabilities.
Companies can submit detailed requirements, from materials and tolerances to delivery timelines. In response, we provide factory matches drawn from our network of over 700,000 manufacturers across CNC machining, metal casting, injection molding, sheet metal, and more.
We don’t rely on simple directory filters or keywords. Instead, our system analyses supplier-level data to assess whether a factory can meet the specific needs of each project. These best-fit factories are then invited to bid for custom parts manufacturing jobs.
When Visibility Changes the Outcome
In one case, a buyer needed high-precision sheet metal components delivered within two weeks. Within 24 hours, we identified 18 technically qualified suppliers. A factory in Cangzhou, previously focused on domestic orders and generating under $500,000 annually, secured the project. It was their first major client. Four years later, the partnership is ongoing, with total sourcing costs reduced by over 20%.
Another workshop, based in Dongguan and historically tied to telecom, was matched for its cutting and bending strengths. Within weeks, it began working with robotics firms, a sector it had never previously targeted.
In Suzhou, a manufacturer of oilfield instruments saw its overseas sales double in just one month after connecting with buyers from Europe and North America.
These outcomes all reflect the same trend: when suppliers are surfaced based on their real capabilities the playing field opens up. New sectors, new geographies, and new growth paths become visible.
A Broader Shift in Sourcing Models
This evolution isn’t just about one platform or region. It reflects a wider rethinking of how supply chains operate.
Many European firms are under pressure to diversify and de-risk. That means accessing distributed capacity across borders. Not just relying on a few dominant suppliers. But doing so requires tools that lower the cost and complexity of finding and qualifying new partners.
Haizol’s custom manufacturing marketplace offers a glimpse of what that might look like: infrastructure that blends supplier discovery, capacity assessment, technical vetting, and communication into a single system.
As global procurement adapts to the realities of fragmented markets and shifting trade patterns, it’s no longer just about who can make a part. But how easily they can be found, assessed, and brought into a project.
The Path Forward for Custom Parts Manufacturing
Custom parts manufacturing doesn’t follow a standard script. Neither should sourcing. The challenge isn’t that capable factories don’t exist. It’s that many are invisible to the buyers who need them.
At Haizol, we believe visibility is the first step toward more resilient and efficient global supply chains. By making technical capabilities searchable, and connections easier to build, platforms like ours can unlock capacity that’s long been hidden in plain sight.
If you're interested in learning more about how Haizol Marketplace helps connect international businesses with China's manufacturing depth, you can explore our platform for custom manufacturing online.
