Suppliers and manufacturers

We arrive with
the volume

Most buyers approaching a factory are asking it to take a chance on them. We are usually doing the opposite: bringing combined demand from several clients, often with a commitment to a year of it, because that is what makes the rate we are asking for reasonable rather than cheeky.

What we commit to

A supplier relationship, not a spot buy

We are not looking for one shipment at a keen price. The business only works if the same supplier is still there next year, so the relationships are managed as long-term positions: forecast volumes shared honestly, payment on the terms agreed, and problems raised early rather than at the point they become a dispute.

Where the numbers support it we will underwrite annual volume, which lets you plan the line, buy materials forward and finance against the contract. That commitment is the thing we are offering. The rate we ask for is what it costs.

We meet new suppliers and manufacturers constantly, across every market we trade in and several we do not yet. If you make something well and at scale, the conversation is worth having even if we hold no demand for it today.

What we look for

Four things, in this order

Capacity you want filled

We are most useful to a manufacturer with a line that is not running at capacity, because that is where committed annual volume is worth the most to you and the rate reflects it.

Documentation in order

Certification, test reports and technical files held and current, not promised. We verify at source, and a supplier who cannot produce paperwork on request does not reach a first order.

Consistency over headline price

The cheapest quote we receive is rarely the one we place. A rate you can hold for twelve months is worth considerably more to us than one you can hold for one shipment.

Willingness to be audited

Capacity, capability and ethical standards, checked before the first order. In several of our categories our clients require it of us, so we require it of you.

The process

Introduction to contract

How long it takes depends almost entirely on the category. Health care and automotive are slow by nature. Packaged goods and apparel can move in weeks.

01

Introduction

Tell us what you make, your capacity and the categories you serve.

02

Assessment

We match your capability against demand we already hold or expect.

03

Audit

Capacity, capability, compliance and ethical standards, verified at source.

04

Sampling

Pre-production samples against a written specification, signed off by the end client.

05

Contract

Terms agreed, and where the volume supports it, an annual commitment from us.

Tell us what you make

Categories, capacity, certifications and the markets you already supply. If there is a fit we will say so quickly, and if there is not we will say that too.