OK, as the OP I will jump in here. There are a lot of good points here from every direction regarding supply chain issues and the cause. I have to admit I don't really fully understand the issues and causes of long overseas lead times and also admit I don't really care as long as our leaders fix it.
The real issue here is what I have been driving at. So you have a company with great products with great quality. You currently have supply chain issues and have barely initiated an in-house machining operation. Your customer service effort is, for the lack of a better term, minimal. So in response to all of these issues you hold a massive 60% off sale designed to do what all sales do, that being an increase in sales volume. And the result of this big sale and resultant big increase in order backlog is a massive increase in lead time, little to no communication with customers, while you pocket your customers' money to do with as you please while leaving them to pursue order status. Instead of building raw material and finished goods inventory while developing your machining operation prior to the sale to buffer lead times you do so while being slammed with orders. As a wise business owner friend once said, "Price, quality, service. Choose two." I guess it is up to the customer whether buying these products at a big discount are worth the customer service headache. Myself, I am not so sure.
