6 Tips for Epicor Customers: Gene Marks' Strategy for Navigating Tariffs
Local Main Line resident and respected columnist and consulting leader from The Marks Group, Gene Marks, recently addressed more than 3,000 attendees at the annual Epicor Insights conference in Las Vegas. The ERP vendor event, which draws over a thousand manufacturers and distributors, serves as Epicor’s premier forum for sharing product updates, business strategies, and fostering connections among customers, partners, and vendors. During his keynote, Marks expressed optimism that the Trump administration would secure trade agreements with many foreign nations; however, his tone shifted notably when discussing China. He pointed to a sharp decline in Pacific trade activity—highlighting a 44% year-over-year drop in volume at the Port of Los Angeles—as a sign of continued tension.
Marks urged attendees to plan for longer-term disruptions and provided some tips for businesses to stay afloat, and even profit during these uncertain times. Here are six of Mark’s recommendations:
Utilize warehouses in free trade zones or bonded warehouses.
These facilities allow businesses to defer tariffs until goods are removed for domestic use. While warehousing fees apply, this approach can significantly reduce upfront costs. Further reading: Click Here
Leverage the World Trade Center Association. The organization offers a database of alternative suppliers and raw materials, which is particularly valuable for distributors seeking to diversify their sourcing strategies.
Adopt predictive analytics and AI-driven ERP tools. These technologies can help identify emerging opportunities and guide customer-specific actions. The focus should be on maximizing profitability at the individual customer level.
Prioritize total margin dollars over margin percentages. Ensuring you generate enough margin to cover fixed overhead is more critical than chasing high percentages.
Consider transparent pricing strategies. Rather than simply raising prices, adding a separate line item for tariff-related costs allows for greater flexibility and credibility with customers—especially when it's time to roll back changes.
Invest in talent. The most successful Epicor customers are those who hire and train the smartest people. Building internal expertise is a key differentiator in navigating volatility. Companies can acquire or develop talent, and many should have a strategy to do both.
How can Main Line Talent Group support manufacturers and distributors with tariff restrictions?
With so much uncertainty, one thing is certain: businesses need intelligent and agile leaders in key strategic positions and motivated individual contributors who can learn and adapt. MLTG is a trusted talent partner for Epicor customers looking to improve their profitability. Beyond recruiting traditional ERP-related positions, our team also has a database including thousands of industry professionals for dozens of specialized verticals, including but not limited to aerospace & defense, discrete manufacturing, automotive, medical devices, electrical distribution, plumbing & HVAC distribution, and many more.
If your organization needs a short-term resource, MLTG has consultants with a variety of different skills and experience levels to help drive your ERP projects and business objectives forward. Contact us today and speak with one of our talent consultants who can match you with the right industry professional.
About Main Line Talent Group
Main Line Talent Group (MLTG) is a leading Epicor talent and recruitment agency dedicated to optimizing human capital through technology. MLTG aligns corporate objectives with strategic ERP initiatives, ensuring clients leverage people to achieve success and minimize turnover costs. Our holistic approach to talent management and commitment to fostering long-term relationships sets us apart from other agencies. We offer executive search and project-based staffing services for Epicor ERP-related roles across IT, Operations, and Accounting. MLTG is not affiliated with Epicor and is a 3rd party service provider.
