How to Choose Adhesive supplier?

03 Mar.,2025

 

Top Five Things to Look for in an Adhesive Manufacturing Company

Glue, tape, and adhesives have become part and parcel of our everyday lives. Whether its woodwork or product development, these are just some of the businesses that rely on sticky applications to aid packaging requirements and run industrial assembly lines smoothly.

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One thing is sure; each industry is different and requires customized adhesive products to complete processes. An adhesive manufacturing company works with customers to determine their requirements and then custom designs a solution to maximize the benefits.

Sadly, some vendors can't formulate the right strength or volume, which could lead your business to come unstuck. This makes finding an adhesive company you can stick with essential for your success. To help you tide over the challenge of finding a competent adhesive partner, here's a list of the top five things to look for in an adhesive manufacturing company.

1. Location.

Location, Location, Location! Yes even in the adhesive manufacturing industry finding partners that are nearby, can be advantageous so that you can get your deliveries faster and develop better relations. Also, the more you support local businesses, the more you will find they will reciprocate and recommend your services to others in the local area.

2. Reputation.

Checking online reviews and contacting customers to get references, will give you a strong indication if a vendor is worth their salt and their reputation commands respect. Finding out how punctual they are with delivering orders and the quality of their product range is of utmost importance.

3. Cost.

Cost is always a determining factor. The price has to be right and provide real value. After all, you are in the business of making money, so you have to watch what you spend and keep overheads to a minimum. At the same time remember that too cheap can be very expensive in the long run. If the adhesive does not do the intended job of bonding things together, it is deemed worthless.

4. Service.

Make sure the company provides excellent service on all levels. If you've done your due diligence and are happy with aspects such as the delivery time, cost, and reputation then you're halfway home. You could or pay a visit to understand how polite and courteous their team is and understand the level of training that they have received in dealing with pressure situations.

5. Flexibility.

There are times when you need products delivered immediately. Having a flexible vendor that is willing to provide service at short notice is necessary. If it is a real urgency, you could even call up a few of your customers to suggest a local partner that can deliver efficiently and effectively.

As a leading adhesive manufacturing company in California, Adhesive Products Inc. is a family-owned company, which has a rich heritage of over one hundred and forty years in manufacturing adhesive products. Our products include a full line of water-based, hot melt and protein-based adhesives. We also offer custom printed packaging tapes; resin coated labels and glue sticks for a myriad of applications. We serve clients across North America and deliver to California, Washington, Oregon, and Baja California - Tijuana & Mexicali.

Manufacturer v Distributor; Which adhesive supplier should you ...

When it comes to buying an adhesive, there are so many different factors you need to consider. Choosing between a manufacturer or a distributor is a big part of the decision process. Each supplier has its advantages and disadvantages. The difficulty is deciding which supplier is going to be best for you.

Here at Forgeway, we are an adhesive manufacturer. We manufacture and supply over tonnes of adhesives annually. However, we know that we aren't a perfect fit for everyone. 

When a customer would be best off buying from a distributor, we would always point them in that direction. This article will go over the benefits and drawbacks of buying from distributors or manufacturers. By the end of the article, you will know whether you should buy your adhesive from a distributor or manufacturer.

BGP are exported all over the world and different industries with quality first. Our belief is to provide our customers with more and better high value-added products. Let's create a better future together.

What's the difference between an adhesive manufacturer and an adhesive distributor?

It's quite self-explanatory. An adhesive manufacturer creates and supplies some or all of its own products. Whilst a manufacturer doesn't create all of the products they supply, the vast majority of their adhesive products would be their own creation.

On the other hand, an adhesive distributor creates very little to none of the products they supply. They supply a range of different adhesive products from a range of different manufacturers. 

In short, adhesive manufacturers create (most or all of) their own products. Distributors don't create any (or very few) of the products they supply.

What are the benefits of buying from an adhesive distributor?

Adhesive distributors usually have a broad variety of products 

Unlike manufacturers, distributors don't have just their own products to sell. Distributors will usually have a variety of different products from a variety of different suppliers. This means you will have more potential products to choose from. More choice means more chances of finding the perfect product for you.

Distributors will almost always have smaller minimum order quantities

Often, manufacturers cannot provide minimum order quantities below 20 units. Distributors can, and if you are not going to be using a large amount of the adhesive product, purchasing little and often will only be possible with a distributor.

What are the drawbacks of buying from an adhesive distributor?

Distributors won't have the same amount of product knowledge

Because they didn't manufacture the product themselves, the distributor won't know the full details of the product. Manufacturers will have full knowledge about their products. And anything they don't already know, they can find out much easier than distributors. This is because manufacturers will often have testing facilities in-house.

Distributors are more susceptible to supply chain issues

Distributors are reliant upon receiving the product from their supplier. Whilst manufacturers still experience supply issues, they are more in control of their supply chain because they make the product themselves.

What are the benefits of buying from an adhesive manufacturer?

Manufacturers can adjust the formulation of the adhesive

Not every adhesive product is perfect. Sometimes you need to make minor adjustments to make it right. Adhesives manufacturers can easily adjust the formulation to meet your exact requirements. 

Weathering resistance, strength, and flexibility are common examples of characteristics that companies like to change in their adhesive.

Manufacturers can offer more after-sales support

Manufacturers will often have facilities and technical knowledge available to answer any questions. If you need to test your adhesives (like extended weathering testing), it's likely a distributor will not have the facilities for this.

Manufacturers can provide custom packaging

If you need the adhesive product(s) in your own branding, adhesive manufacturers can give you this option. Distributors are usually not able to provide this capability.

Manufacturers can't offer small order quantities

Manufacturers will rarely be able to accommodate orders below 20 units. They are set up to send out large orders. They will only send out small order quantities under exceptional circumstances.

Manufacturers usually don't have a broad variety of products

Adhesive manufacturers will only supply products they create themselves. Usually, this means they won't have the same variety that a distributor can offer.

Adhesive distributor or adhesive manufacturer; who should you buy from?

So now you know the difference, the benefits, and the drawbacks, it's time to decide which supplier you should buy from. It's never a simple decision.

Here at Forgeway, we are adhesive manufacturers. We know that customers aren't always a good fit for us. We recommend buying from a distributor if:

  • You are going to be purchasing small order quantities
  • You want a broad variety of adhesive options

However, you should look at purchasing from a manufacturer if:

  • You want the ability to adjust the formulation
  • You want additional customer support

You may think this article is biased as we are adhesive manufacturers. Nonetheless, we wrote an article to list the other top adhesive manufacturers who could supply you. Click the button below to read the article.

For more information, please visit Adhesive supplier.