Updated September 2026
Sometimes a business relationship starts in the most unexpected way.
Several years ago, Des Paden attended a trade show and wasn’t particularly impressed with what he saw. He decided to leave a few minutes early.
On his way out, a Wisconsin Bucky Badger logo caught his attention.
As a Wisconsin Badger fan, Des stopped to introduce himself to the gentleman working the booth. His name was Ken Yee.
The conversation started with the Badgers and quickly moved to manufacturing.
Ken was a partner with Power Drives, a tooling company based in Hong Kong with operations in the Hong Kong and Shenzhen region. Des invited Ken to visit Crestwood Industries, and what began as an unexpected conversation eventually developed into a valuable manufacturing partnership.
A Partnership Built on More Than Price
At Crestwood Industries, developing strong relationships with manufacturing partners isn’t simply about finding another source for tooling.
It’s about finding the right combination of quality, capability, communication, and cost.
The relationship with Power Drives gave Crestwood another manufacturing resource and, importantly, another way to provide customers with quality tooling at a competitive price.
That can translate directly into savings for Crestwood customers.
By developing trusted relationships with capable manufacturing partners, Crestwood can evaluate different manufacturing options and determine the most appropriate approach for a customer’s project. When the right project is matched with the right manufacturing resource, those efficiencies can help reduce tooling costs without compromising the quality and performance our customers expect.
Seeing the Manufacturing Operation Firsthand
Ken eventually invited Des and members of the Crestwood team to visit his operation in Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
The trip provided an opportunity to see the manufacturing operation firsthand, meet the people involved, and better understand the capabilities behind the partnership.
Ken and his team picked the Crestwood group up early in the morning and traveled to the Shenzhen facility. The team toured the operation, met employees, and saw two Crestwood tools being produced.
The day included two authentic meals together and continued late into the evening with a visit to the Peak overlooking Hong Kong.
It was quite a trip, but the most important part wasn’t the sightseeing.
It was seeing the operation, meeting the people, and building the kind of relationship that makes it possible for two companies to work together effectively.
The Customer Benefit
For Crestwood, a manufacturing partnership ultimately has to provide value to our customers.
That value can come in several forms:
- Competitive tooling costs
- Access to additional manufacturing capabilities
- More options when developing a project
- Strong communication between Crestwood and its manufacturing partners
- The ability to match a project with an appropriate manufacturing resource
The goal isn’t simply to source a tool at the lowest possible price.
The goal is to find the right solution at the right cost while maintaining the quality and performance our customers require.
That’s where a strong manufacturing partnership can make a difference.
Relationships Create Opportunities
One of the things that stood out to Des during his visit was the way Power Drives valued its people.
The company took its team and their families on a three-day retreat each year to celebrate accomplishments and discuss goals for the future.
That emphasis on relationships resonated with the team at Crestwood.
Manufacturing is ultimately a people business. Good communication, trust, and a shared commitment to doing the job right are essential when companies are working across thousands of miles and multiple time zones.
The relationship that began with a chance conversation at a trade show became an example of what can happen when two companies find common ground.
A Chance Meeting With a Lasting Customer Benefit
It’s hard to know where a business relationship will lead when it begins.
Des certainly didn’t expect a Wisconsin Badger logo at a trade show to lead to a visit to Shenzhen and a new manufacturing resource for Crestwood.
But that’s exactly what happened.
And the real value of the relationship isn’t the trip or even the story of how the partnership began.
It’s what the partnership can provide to the companies Crestwood serves.
By building relationships with capable manufacturing partners, Crestwood can create more options, identify cost-effective manufacturing solutions, and help customers save money while getting the tooling they need.
That’s a partnership worth building.
~ Des Paden