Can any recommend an A/V distributor other than AVAD?  I’m just trying to build my list of suppliers.  I believe I saw something from CE Pro about distributors sometime ago.  I can’t seem to put my hands on it though.  Any help would be appreciated.

Never mind, found the info on the CE Pro website.

For others interested in finding out more about distributors, check out the Ultimate Guide to Distribution 2008.

I can recommend at least one distributor.

You should consider:
1.  Importance of support to your company; if you’ve never done something, having a company that can support that for you has value
2.  Cost of freight
3.  Need for will call pick up.  Some folks live by the will call window; others can use the UPS delivery system to meet their needs
4.  What products you want to carry
5.  Ability for your contact to do what they say and say what they do.

Fred,

The more the better.  Please make your recommendation.

Depending on where you’re located is part of the key.

The folks at volutone out in LA saved my bacon at a trade show several years ago, so I have warm feelings about them.  Nice guys, helped out a competitor even though they didn’t have to.

The company I work for is also on the list.

The list of things to consider is very important.  I am sure there are great distributors out there we don’t use, because being able to pick up parts same day is important to our business.  So we are still very sensitive to the physical location of the distributor.

I will also put in a good word for Volutone.  Our office happens to be in the same city as their corporate offices, Simi Valley, CA.  They were the distributor that helped get our business going.

Good Luck,

Morgan Harman

Fred Harding - 23 July 2008 03:11 PM

Depending on where you’re located is part of the key.

The folks at volutone out in LA saved my bacon at a trade show several years ago, so I have warm feelings about them.  Nice guys, helped out a competitor even though they didn’t have to.

The company I work for is also on the list.

I use both Volutone and Capitol Sales, and I think they both have great support. Volutone I use for my high end products like Pioneer Elites and the JVC projectors, but for accessories, I find that Capitol is usually cheaper. I do live in Southern California.

Fred Harding - 23 July 2008 11:22 AM

I can recommend at least one distributor.

You should consider:
1.  Importance of support to your company; if you’ve never done something, having a company that can support that for you has value
2.  Cost of freight
3.  Need for will call pick up.  Some folks live by the will call window; others can use the UPS delivery system to meet their needs
4.  What products you want to carry
5.  Ability for your contact to do what they say and say what they do.

I like your distributor…Thanks for sharing.
I found your reply very informative..

We use Capitol Sales a lot!  Price is not even on the list of reasons.  They are almost always in stock, wide variety of products, next day FREE UPS when ordered online, great communication, almost no billing/shipping mistakes.  Great service!  No complaints.