Custom Manufacturing

Send us a sample, a drawing, or artwork of the item you would like manufactured. In about a week, we can usually obtain a preliminary quotation for production costs, product development fees, and minimum quantities required.

If the quotation is acceptable, we will forward your development fee to the factory and authorize them to make samples of your product. The development fee covers the cost of making the original model, necessary molds and express shipping of the samples. Development fees are non-refundable, and samples usually take about six weeks to arrive.

After producing a sample for your approval, we will reconfirm pricing for your project. Once pricing is confirmed and the sample is approved, we need to send the factory a 50% deposit for production. Manufacturing time varies with each product but generally takes three to four months after sample approval.

Once the factory has notified us that your order has been shipped, the remaining 50% of the payment is due. This generally occurs two weeks prior to product delivery.

Maryland China will handle all aspects of production and importing, including the ocean freight, customs clearance, FDA approval, payment of import duties, and arranging for marine insurance.

Maryland China can process the orders you receive from your website, Amazon, Etsy, or other online marketplaces. We link shipping software directly to your website or marketplace account and then can ship your orders and write back the tracking information directly to the website or marketplace. You can take advantage of Maryland China's negotiated shipping rates to save money and streamline the entire process. Maryand China charges a fee for each order filled (charges vary depending on the amount of prep and packing involved per order) and there is a storage fee for holding your inventory at our warehouse. Whether or not you decide to utilize Maryland China's fulfillment services, we always recommend manufacturing your items in shippable boxes if you will be shipping your orders directly to customers--you can save a tremendous amount in packing materials and labor when your items arrive from the factory. Email info@marylandchina.com for more information and check out this video on fulfillment.

Maryland China strives to work with factories that use the safest, most modern materials available for ceramic production. Our factories routinely test for FDA compliance in all their materials. We can help arrange for any testing required to meet your needs. We work with international testing labs and can arrange tests for FDA compliance, California Prop 65 compliance, CPSIA compliance, as well as dishwasher, microwave and durability testing. Testing is done at the customer’s expense, and we will work closely with the labs to make sure proper test methods are utilized.

Although Maryland China Company does not own the factories we work with, we do have dedicated staff members overseas who work directly with the factories throughout the entire custom manufacturing process. From sample development to quality control, at various stages during manufacturing, final packaging and thorough inspection of the finished merchandise, our staff will work with the factory to assure success. We have full time offices in Thailand, China and the Czech Republic and our experienced staff on the ground keeps the factories focused on the production timeline and ensures that the details of your project are correct.

Many of our custom manufacturing customers have tried to import themselves, but have wasted valuable time and money working with a factory that could not deliver what it promised. Each of our over 100 factories has unique strengths and capabilities, with slightly different offerings and specialties. We have the experience and knowledge to match your project with the appropriate factory, and to monitor all aspects of production. We have a long and steady business relationship with these factories, and they are often willing to work with us on projects that they would reject from other companies. We also make routine factory visits to remain informed about changes in manufacturing processes, and to assure labor and social policy compliance.

Unfortunately, because our manufacturing is done overseas, we cannot produce small runs or meet deadlines that are generally shorter than 4 months. The minimum quantity required depends on the item, but it is never less than several hundred pieces. Our minimums for custom decorating on one of our existing items are much lower and production is faster, so if you are willing to use one of the 1200+ items that we offer, see our custom decorating information.