What the words mean
Manufacturer. Actually makes the product. For geomembrane that means operating extrusion lines and a quality laboratory. For welding machines it means designing and building the equipment. Genuine manufacturers are a short list in both cases.
Factory. Usually the same thing, used when buyers want to signal they are trying to skip intermediaries. Searching for a factory rate is a way of asking for the lowest possible price.
Authorised distributor. Holds a formal appointment from a manufacturer for a territory, normally with obligations attached: stock, service capability, and sometimes exclusivity. It is a contractual status, not a description.
Supplier or dealer. Sources from manufacturers and sells on, usually carrying stock and often carrying several brands. This is what most companies in this trade actually are, including us, and we state it plainly on our about page.
Trading company. Buys and sells without holding stock or technical capability. Perfectly legitimate, but the value added is arranging the transaction, and the price should reflect that.
Buying direct from a factory
It can be the right answer for a large, simple, repeat order where you already know exactly what you want. Container quantities of a single liner grade to a specification you have bought before is a good candidate.
It works less well for a first order, a mixed order or anything urgent. Shipping terms and transit times by country are on our export page. A factory quotes ex works, which leaves freight, insurance, duty and clearance to you. Minimum order quantities are usually substantial. Lead times run to weeks because production is scheduled. Machines arrive configured for the factory's domestic voltage unless you specified otherwise, and correcting that afterwards is expensive. And when a heating element fails in eighteen months, you are placing an international order for one part.
What a stockist actually adds
- A delivered price. One number covering freight, documents and duty basis, rather than an ex works figure that grows.
- Mixed orders. Liner, machines, rod and test kit on one consignment with one set of customs documents, which no single factory can supply.
- Stock. Availability now rather than on a production schedule.
- Correct configuration. Machines set for the destination voltage and plug type before dispatch.
- Parts. The wear items that keep a crew working, held locally.
- Compatibility responsibility. One party accountable if the rod does not weld to the sheet.
How to tell what you are dealing with
Ask direct questions and note whether the answers are specific. Where is the stock held, and can it be inspected. Which brands are carried, and is there an authorisation in writing for any of them. Which wear parts are on the shelf right now. What voltage will the machine arrive at. Is the price ex works or delivered, and to which point.
A supplier who answers those precisely is one; a supplier who answers vaguely is probably a trading company, which may still be fine but should not be priced as more.
Be careful with the word authorised
Claiming authorised distributor status without holding it is a claim manufacturers do act on, and buyers verify it directly with the brand more often than sellers expect. If a supplier claims it for a machine you care about, ask for the appointment in writing. We do not make that claim for any brand unless we hold it.
Frequently asked questions
Should I buy geomembrane direct from the factory?
For a large repeat order of a single grade to a specification you have bought before, it can be cheaper. For a first order, a mixed order, an urgent order, or anywhere you want one party accountable for material and equipment together, a stockist usually costs less once freight, duty, minimum order quantities and lead time are counted. Compare a delivered price against a delivered price, never against an ex works one.
Are you a manufacturer?
No. We are a supplier and dealer of plastic welding equipment and geomembrane, stocking in Dubai and shipping across the Gulf and Africa. We say so deliberately, because it means we can put the machine that suits your work in front of you rather than the only machine we build. More on how we operate is on our about page.
All of it comes from one source, which is the point of the way we supply welding plant and liner together.