A Supply House Times survey finds a lot of order-taking, but some wholesalers earn their keep and then some.
For the most part, manufacturers we contacted were not very complimentary about their wholesalers. "Often the wholesaler is not in this end of the business," said one manufacturer in a typical statement. "Most of the time the manufacturer's rep works with the specifier to develop the spec, and the stronger rep gets more of his brands included. The wholesaler then is forced to live with whatever it is and respond by providing a quote. They are selling, not marketing."