OEM and Private Label Kitchen Sinks
If you are building an own-brand kitchen sink line, most of the risk is in the first order. This page sets out what can actually be customised, what cannot be changed without tooling, what the minimum quantities are, and how the approval sequence runs — so you can decide whether the project is viable before contacting anyone.
We manufacture stainless steel kitchen sinks in Foshan, China, for residential use. Pressed (drawn) stainless is our core in-house line, handmade (welded) stainless is a supplementary in-house line, and quartz composite sinks are supplied through a partner factory.
What OEM and private label cover
The two terms get used loosely, so here is how we use them.
Private label means an existing model from our range, produced to its existing specification, carrying your brand. Marking, packaging and documentation change; the product does not. This is the fastest and lowest-risk route to an own-brand line.
OEM means the specification itself changes — a different thickness band, a different finish, a different accessory configuration, or in the larger case a different bowl geometry. The further the specification moves from an existing model, the more time and tooling the project needs.
Most first orders are private label. Most buyers move into OEM only once the line has proved itself.
What can be customised
These changes do not require new tooling and can be applied to existing models:
- Brand marking on the product — placement and method confirmed per model
- Packaging design — carton artwork, inner packaging, retail-ready formats
- Carton labelling — your SKU codes, barcodes, country-of-origin and handling marks
- Documentation inserts — installation sheets and care instructions in your own language and layout
- Accessory configuration — within the standard fitting set for that model
- Thickness band and finish — where the model already runs in more than one band or finish
Because none of these touch the die, they can usually be absorbed inside the standard production window.
What requires new tooling
These changes need a die, and a die is a project of its own:
- New external dimensions
- New bowl geometry, depth or corner radius
- A drainboard layout that does not already exist
- A new faucet-hole or drain position that changes the pressing operation
We are not going to publish a tooling cost or a tooling lead time here, because both depend entirely on the geometry and we would only be guessing. If your project needs tooling, send the drawing or the dimensional requirement and we will quote the tooling separately from the units.
There is a practical alternative worth knowing about: handmade production has no die. If you need a size that no pressed model covers, a handmade version can often be built without tooling at all, at a lower minimum order but a higher unit cost. That trade-off is compared in pressed vs handmade stainless steel sinks.
Minimum order quantity by line
MOQ is per model, not per order. An order can combine several models as long as each one reaches its own minimum.
| Line | MOQ per model |
|---|---|
| --- | --- |
| Pressed (drawn) stainless steel | 200 pieces |
| Handmade (welded) stainless steel | 50 pieces |
| Quartz composite | 20 pieces |
For a first own-brand order, a common structure is a small number of pressed models at 200 each for the volume positions, plus one or two handmade models at 50 each for the top of the range. That gives an assortment without committing container volumes to models you have not tested.
Note that quartz composite OEM runs through our partner factory rather than our own workshop. We coordinate it, but we do not produce it, and we will tell you that in the quotation rather than let you discover it later.
Artwork, sample and approval steps
The sequence matters, because the production clock does not start until it is finished.
1. Specification confirmation. Model, grade, thickness band, finish, accessory content, packaging format — agreed in writing.
2. Artwork submission. Logo files, carton design, label data, barcode numbers. Vector artwork avoids a round of quality problems.
3. Artwork proof. We return a proof showing marking placement and carton layout for your approval.
4. Sample. For a first own-brand order we recommend a physical sample before the run. Terms are agreed case by case depending on whether the sample is a standard model or a prepared specification.
5. Written approval. Once you approve the sample and the artwork proof, the specification is frozen and production is scheduled.
Changes after freeze are possible but they reset the schedule, so it is worth being slow at step 1 and fast afterwards.
Production timeline
Production lead time is 35 days, counted from written specification confirmation and approval of artwork and sample. Shipping time is additional and depends on your routing and carrier.
We quote EXW and FOB. We do not quote DAP or DDP and we do not handle customs clearance in the destination country.
Packaging, labelling and barcodes
For own-brand orders, packaging is usually where the value is visible, and it is also where transport damage is decided.
Rim deformation is the most common transit damage on kitchen sinks, and a bent rim makes a unit unsellable rather than discountable. If your line is going to be dispatched as individual parcels rather than pallet-delivered to a warehouse, say so at the specification stage, because parcel dispatch needs a different carton construction. Export packaging for kitchen sinks explains what actually changes the damage rate.
Barcodes, SKU codes and handling marks are printed to your data. Send the data as a spreadsheet rather than embedded in artwork files so it can be checked.
How to verify a manufacturer before placing an OEM order
An own-brand order puts your name on someone else's production, so verify before you commit:
1. Ask which lines are produced in-house and which are sourced. A supplier that answers this precisely is easier to work with than one that answers it warmly. For us: pressed stainless in-house as the core line, handmade in-house as a supplementary line, quartz composite from a partner factory.
2. Request a live video walkthrough of the production area during a working shift. Not a recorded file.
3. Order a paid sample against the written specification and measure it — thickness, dimensions, finish, accessory content, packaging.
4. Ask the same technical question twice, days apart. Inconsistent answers cost nothing to detect and a great deal to discover later.
5. Appoint your own third-party inspector. An inspection you commission and pay for is worth more than any document we could hand you.
We would rather be checked than believed, and we will support all four steps.
How to start
Send the model or size you want to build the line on, the quantity per model, your destination market, your packaging format and your branding requirement. If you already have artwork, send it; if you do not, tell us the format you need and we will confirm what we need from you.
