Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Manufacturer's Representative?

if every manufacturer could build exactly what the users require in design, quantity, quality, usability and on time delivery, then every product would eventually find a use. The end result is a well-balanced use of resources; otherwise, call fantasy land. This is a picture of the real world. As you can see, the tiles usually don't always fit together so easily. For a variety of reasons manufacturers might need help getting products to end users.

One example might be that the manufacturer's resources (people, materials, and capital) are limited, and they cannot actively seek new customers. Large manufacturers rely almost exclusively on mass merchandisers and they require an often-insane advertising budget. This forces the giant manufacturer to leverage their economies of scale in order to generate the cash needed for mass merchants and high profile advertising.

The majority of the time, large assembly line operations have to balance quality with production costs with an acute sense of the bottom line. This is where the smaller manufacturer has the edge. They are able to produce higher quality products that appeal better to the public at large at a fair cost, but with limited marketing and advertising budgets. Often times a new product requires training before it can be sold, installed or used properly, or must be installed by trained professionals, in either case this limits who can buy the product. Another possibility is that the manufacturer is unfamiliar with the market in which they are selling their product.

Since the advent of global marketplaces, this last example is quite common. If such situations occur, manufacturers often enlist the help of an area representative. Sales Representatives always know a great deal about the particular nuances of the marketplace. Reps are also knowledgeable about the existing products and the need for new ones. One of the other strong attributes of a Rep is the strong relationships that they maintain with everyone within the distribution chain. The primary mission of all Manufacturer Sales Representatives is to inform and train a great number of distributors, dealers, and users.

The manufacturer's representative then becomes the eyes, ears, and voice of the manufacture in a given area. Manufacturers' Representatives help bring all the 'tiles' together and then strengthen the bond between each one. A Rep is often the grout or the mortar in the mosaic...

A Comprehensive Look

A major MRERF (www.mrerf.org) educational venture informs top executives in America's top companies about the benefits they receive from the rep system of outsourced selling. The educational message, presented as a special supplement in Fortune Magazine's Industrial Manufacturing and Technology edition, in November of 1999, reached close to a quarter-million CEOs, COOs, CFOs and other top executives. Countless more will see the reprints, either in print or here on the web;  download the Fortune Magazine article.

How many manufacturers use representatives?

According to the Research Institute of America, more than 50% of all U.S. manufacturers (and up to 95% in such fields as the plumbing industry) use representatives, exclusively or in combination with direct sales forces. While small companies may go the rep route out of economic necessity, even mega-corporations find it productive to utilize reps to efficiently cover particular market segments or specialized niches.

Can I buy directly from your company?

No, we set up distributors all across our territory to handle direct and commercial sales. We can certainly point you to one of our distributors that is closet to you. Please call us or email Customer Service for specific information until our distributor locator is finished on our website.

Can I contact you directly for other information?

Absolutely! We can handle almost any request that you can come up. We routinely handle service questions, literature requests, technical questions, delivery and lead-time questions, general problems, distributor referral and anything else that may come to your mind. We boast an inside sales staff of five individuals at your beckon call. Give them a try, they are the best in the business!

Can I visit your showroom?

We do not have a showroom as we are not distributors of our products; therefore, there is not a showroom to visit. We would normally route you to one of our distributors that can be handle you on a personal level.

I am having a problem, can I get some assistance?

Sure! That is one of our many roles that we fulfill. Our distributors handle hundreds of product lines within their company. because of that, it is impossible for them to become true experts on are given line. This is where we come in. If we do not know the answer immediately, we have the resources to find out promptly.

Who is responsible for service after the sale?

Most all of our manufacturers that we represent offer a standard warranty that covers material and workmanship, but not labor charges. If you purchased the product from a contractor, which is the recommended path, the contractor should handle any warranty issues that arise. If you purchased the product directly from one of our distributors, you carry the burden to service the product within the parameters of the manufacturer's warranty. This is why we always recommend purchasing your products through reputable contractors.

Can you recommend a contractor?

Basically No. We deal with so many contractors that singling a few out would be unfair to the others that are just as qualified. Once you locate your own contractor, we can certainly tell you if we have ever dealt with them. On the other hand, if the product that you are interested in requires a certified installer, we can certainly refer you to them.

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