Distributor and importer meetings
Meet US and Canadian distributors who fit your product.
Vivin arranges attended meetings with distributors, importers and wholesale buyers in the US and Canada for manufacturers and exporters based elsewhere.
We check category, territory and interest before the meeting, so you talk to a possible partner with context instead of buying a list of importer names.
- Pay per appointment
- USD $100 to $500 per attended appointment
No-shows are not billed.
Every fee is listed in your written quote before you sign. Read the lead agreement.
Contact us
Let’s discuss your market
Tell us who you want to reach and where. We will reply by email with the next step.
Choose the partner role before the contact list
Importers, distributors, wholesalers, brokers and manufacturers' representatives play different parts in getting a product to market. Decide who should hold stock, manage accounts, develop a territory or support the product before deciding whom to approach.
A matching product category does not make a matching partner. Look at territory coverage, customer types, competing lines and the role you want them to play. A buyer looking for a one-off shipment may not be the partner for a long-term distribution plan.
What a distributor will ask you
Bring a clear product sheet, your price structure, supply capacity and the support you can offer. The conversation moves faster when landed cost, minimum order, lead time and the proposed margin are ready to discuss.
Describe only the approvals and certifications you actually hold. Import, labelling, product and tax requirements are questions for your advisers and the relevant authorities; a distributor meeting does not show that a product is ready to enter the country.
- Product category, specifications and intended customer.
- Target regions and any exclusive arrangements you already have.
- Pricing, minimum order and who handles delivery.
- Evidence for product claims and current certifications.
- Sample availability and who can discuss terms.
How to find a distributor in the USA
The same five steps work for Canada. Steps 1 to 4 are yours; step 5 is where Vivin comes in.
- Decide the partner role: importer, distributor, wholesaler or manufacturers' representative.
- List candidates from free sources: the Canadian Importers Database for Canada, MANA RepFinder for US representatives, official trade-show exhibitor lists and the distributors named on complementary products.
- Check each candidate's territory, customer types and competing lines.
- Prepare landed cost, minimum order, lead time and the margin you propose.
- Confirm interest before the first meeting, which is the step Vivin runs.
Free research routes, and where we fit
In Canada, the Canadian Importers Database from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada lists companies importing goods by product, city and country of origin. TFO Canada, which supports exporters from developing countries, also runs Importer Connect. In the US, MANA RepFinder helps manufacturers find independent sales representatives.
These sources show who might be relevant. They do not show who wants your line. Our outreach confirms that the right person is open to a conversation and carries what they said into the meeting brief.
An illustrative distributor brief
Illustration, not a client result: a Turkish industrial-component maker could target US Midwest distributors that serve maintenance teams. Its brief might record each distributor's product focus, territories, overlap with competing lines and interest in receiving samples.
The manufacturer runs the technical and commercial evaluation. Distributor meetings follow pay-per-appointment pricing, USD $100 to $500 per attended appointment, with the partner criteria and every fee set in your agreement. A first meeting grants no exclusivity and guarantees no order.
A sample distributor brief
Illustration, not a client result: the fields below are the shape of a brief for one distributor conversation. The company, territory and product are invented, and no margin or price figure is shown because any number here would be a guess about your costs.
Importer, distributor, wholesaler or manufacturer's rep: how they differ
Roles overlap and vary by industry, so treat this as a starting vocabulary and confirm each partner's real role in the first conversation.
| Role | Usually holds stock? | Usually sells to | Usually earns | Ask first |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Importer | Sometimes | Distributors, wholesalers or retailers, and sometimes end customers | The margin between its purchase price and its resale price | Does it act as importer of record for your product? Confirm responsibilities with a licensed customs broker. |
| Distributor | Usually | Dealers, retailers, contractors or other trade buyers in a territory | Margin on resale, often with territory and support duties | Which territory, which customer types and which competing lines? |
| Wholesaler | Usually | Retailers and trade buyers, often across many brands | Margin on volume resale | How many brands does it carry, and does it promote any of them? |
| Manufacturer's rep | Usually not | Buyers in a territory, on your behalf | Commission on orders, usually | Which lines does it carry that fit or compete, and who invoices the customer? |
Margin and landed-cost checklist
Work through this with your adviser before a distributor meeting. It lists items to price, not figures: costs and margins differ by product, route and partner, so none are shown here.
- Your ex-works or free-carrier price per unit, in US dollars.
- Freight and insurance to the US or Canadian port or border, and on to the partner's warehouse.
- Duties, tariffs and fees for your product's classification, confirmed with a licensed customs broker.
- Customs brokerage, port, handling and storage charges.
- Testing, certification and labelling costs for your product.
- The payment terms you will offer and the cost of financing them.
- Currency risk, if your costs are not in US dollars.
- The margin each party in the chain needs, worked backwards from the price an end customer will accept.
- Minimum order, lead time, and how returns and warranty claims are handled.
- Samples: who pays for them and who ships them.
What each model costs.
All prices are in USD, the currency of every Vivin agreement. Your written quote sets the audience, the qualification rules and the terms before outreach starts.
See pricing and termsQuestions worth asking first.
Short, direct answers. If yours is not here, bring it to a discovery call.
Do you sell importer or distributor lists?
No. We arrange qualified partner conversations. List research supports that work, but a directory entry is a different product and says nothing about a partner's interest.
Can you find a manufacturers' representative instead?
We can scope a separate representative audience with the territory, customer base and product-line fit you need. MANA RepFinder is also worth a look when you research the representative route.
Can the campaign cover Canada as well as the US?
Yes, with clear country and territory criteria. Channels, language needs and product rules differ between the two, so one distribution proposal rarely fits both.
Who decides whether we need an importer of record?
Work that out with a licensed customs broker or adviser and the relevant customs authority for your product. Our outreach does not provide customs advice or take on import responsibility.
Will you agree exclusivity with a distributor for us?
No. Your company runs those negotiations. Territory, sales commitments, duration and exit terms need proper review, and interest shown during qualification is not a signed distribution agreement.
What makes a distributor meeting qualified?
Your written profile defines the partner category, territory, decision-making role and the interest to be confirmed. The meeting must be attended and backed by the agreed evidence. Commercial fit is yours to judge afterwards.
What is the difference between an importer, a distributor and a wholesaler?
An importer brings goods into the country and may or may not sell on. A distributor usually holds stock and sells to trade buyers in a territory, often with support duties. A wholesaler sells to many trade buyers, usually across many brands. The roles overlap and vary by industry, so ask each partner what role it actually plays. The comparison table on this page sets them side by side.
What margin do US distributors expect?
There is no single figure we can give you. It depends on the product category, the channel and the support you ask the partner to provide, so any one number would be a guess. Build it backwards from the end-customer price using the landed-cost checklist on this page, and test it with your adviser and in the first distributor conversations.
What should I send before a distributor meeting?
A product sheet, your price structure and proposed margin, minimum order, lead time, sample availability and the support you can offer. The sample brief and the checklist on this page show the items.
Tell us which buyers you want to meet, and where.
Bring your offer, the markets you want to grow in and how you sell today. In 30 minutes we will tell you whether Vivin is a fit and what a first campaign could look like.
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