Full definition
A B2B intermediary that purchases industrial products from manufacturers in bulk and resells them in smaller quantities to end-user industrial customers, adding value through: local inventory (immediate availability of commonly needed items), technical expertise (product selection, cross-referencing, application advice), custom services (cutting, kitting, assembly), credit terms (bridging the payment gap between manufacturer and end user), and consolidated purchasing (one distributor supplying products from many manufacturers). In Mexico and LATAM, industrial distributors are the primary sales channel for: rubber products, belts, bearings, seals, adhesives, and maintenance supplies — most manufacturers do not sell directly to small/medium end users. Key services: (1) Stock and deliver — maintaining warehouse inventory for same-day or next-day delivery. (2) Technical support — helping customers select the correct product (belt profile, rubber compound, seal material). (3) Custom fabrication — cutting gaskets, assembling kits, creating custom-length belts. (4) Vendor-managed inventory (VMI) — managing customer inventory levels. Types: broad-line distributors (Grainger, DIMSA, MSC — wide product range) and specialists (focused on a narrow category like belts, bearings, or rubber with deep expertise). In Mexico: the distributor network is essential because geographic distances and logistics challenges make direct manufacturer sales impractical for the fragmented industrial market.