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What Are Your Numbers Actually Telling You?

 

Explore the 5 metrics James Moore's fractional CFO team reviews every month for manufacturing clients — and what they reveal when you look at them together.
James Moore Manufacturing Fractional CFO

What's Inside

There's no shortage of numbers you could track. These are the ones that consistently tell us the most.

  • Gross Margin by Product Line — Your blended margin can look healthy while one line drags down the whole business. We break it out to find where margin is strong and where it's leaking.

  • Adjusted EBITDA Margin — The clearest view of what your business actually earns from operations, stripped of depreciation, debt service, and owner-specific items that distort the picture.

  • Operating Cash Flow vs. Net Income — Profitable and cash-poor is a real problem in manufacturing. This comparison shows the gap between what your income statement reports and what your business actually generated.

  • Cash Conversion Cycle — How long does it take for a dollar spent on materials to come back as collected revenue? For a $28M manufacturer, each extra day in the cycle represents roughly $77K in tied-up working capital.

  • Capacity Utilization and Revenue Coverage — Running too hot drives overtime and quality issues. Carrying too much capacity drags EBITDA. This tells you whether your production capacity is matched to demand.

Our Manufacturing Services

Sure, we care about clean financial statements. But in manufacturing, the numbers tell a much bigger story.

We work alongside fabricators, producers and plant leaders, providing practical financial insight they can use to:

  • Build business value
  • Improve internal controls and reporting clarity
  • Leverage tax credits, deductions and other strategies to boost their bottom line
  • Navigate multi-state operations and regulatory requirements

  • Promote growth, transitions and strategic planning 

Manufacturing isn’t just another industry to us. It’s one of our core specialties, and we understand the operational realities behind the financials.

Manufacturing-Costs-cropped
Mike Sibley 600 x 8000 (1)
 

Mike Sibley, CPA, LSS Black Belt

The leader of James Moore's Manufacturing Services team, Mike works closely with owners and executives to deliver the strategic guidance they need to grow and adapt in a competitive marketplace. He specializes in providing fractional CFO services and trusted financial leadership for companies looking for deep expertise in developing strategic financial plans that drive long-term value.

 

Contact Mike
Kevin Golden -600 x 800 (3)
 

Kevin Golden, CPA

With nearly 15 years of accounting experience, Kevin focuses on manufacturing clients. He serves as a member of the firm’s Manufacturing Services team and is a co-host of Moore on Manufacturing, our monthly video series addressing the business concerns facing manufacturing companies. He also presents regularly to professional groups in the community on tax-related issues.

 

Contact Kevin

Run the Numbers for Your Business.

Download the guide to see the five metrics in practice — then reach out if you'd like to run the same analysis on your own numbers.

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All content provided in these materials is for informational purposes only and is subject to change. For up-to-date guidance specific to your organization, please contact a James Moore professional. James Moore is not responsible for any claim, loss, or damage resulting from reliance on these materials.
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