When a 2-Year Lead Time Isn’t an Option

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 A portable 55-gallon drum washing and crushing trailer needed a 40kW generator.

Normally, you’d just buy one.

But post-COVID supply chain issues pushed lead times out to nearly two years.
We didn’t have two years.

To make matters more serious, the order was under force majeure from the French Polynesian government. Delays weren’t just inconvenient—they weren’t acceptable.

So instead of waiting, we built.

We sourced a Mecc Alte generator head and a Kohler diesel engine, then designed and fabricated a custom support frame and shroud around them.

From concept to a fully functional, certified unit—in 2 months.

The results:

Delivered a working 40kW generator with no dependency on long OEM lead times

Reduced overall cost compared to a purchased unit

Designed a form factor that fit the trailer better than off-the-shelf options

Secured approval from Kohler, allowing the customer to repeat manufacturing in-house


This wasn’t just a workaround.
It turned into a better long-term solution.

Supply chain problems aren’t going away anytime soon.
The question is—do you wait, or do you engineer around them?