Purchase supplies local or have them shipped?

[Columbia Signs]

I know there's not one supplier that can offer it all, but with the prices some of these catalog / internet suppliers are offering I have to think about changing how we do business with local suppliers.

Where do you pruchase most of your shops supplies from? (vinyl, transfer tape, paints, substaights....) Local suppliers or do you order through a catalog / online source?

 

[SignosaurusRex]

I try to make as many purchases as possible locally and preferably with one or two suppliers. The result is faster service, almost always free delivery and a better price schedule for customer loyalty. Twenty plus years of doing biz with the same suppliers really does still count for something good, at least with these local guys.

 

[PGSigns]

Mine is a mix of local and online. The Glantz by us has a good selection and service and I shop them when ever I can. Some of the stuff we use they don't carry so that comes from the other suppliers. When dealing online you have to consider the freight and delay in getting it when comparing price.
Jimmy

 

[mystysue]

we order locally from a couple of differant suppliers.. In southern calif area there are so many local suppliers .. but we actually only use 3 .
ordway, signmart and glantz... We usually get supplies in several times a week.. and its nice to pay no shipping.. and have it delivered it same day (if we order early in the day) or next day..

I am a firm believer in getting things locally when its posible..

 

[D&Tgraphics]

We do a mixture. Vinyl, tape, lam, and other misc items we buy mostly from Fellers. Good pricing and free ship. For all big stuff like 8x4 sheets of everything, frames etc. we buy from the local Glantz. I toss them a vinyl order occasionally too.

 

[Custom Signs]

I buy locally which is 130 miles from me. But I do get free shipping and excellent service from my (mainly 3) vendors which are Graphic Solutions, Reece Supply and Fellers. All three do a Great Job!!!

 

[Pro Image]

Everything but substrates I buy from Fellers............

The substrates come from a local supplier about 60 miles from the shop........



Oh get my VJ ink from the company that sold me the printer........

 

[gpzjack]

Im just starting out but all the local places are too far away for me to make the run to get the stuff. I get my stuff usually within two days so thats fast enough for me

 

[SignTech]

Usually FELLERS ... Harbor ... they beat out everyone local and 1 day ship .... b nice to get local however ...

 

[Kysparky]

I use local and online. Some things are customer specific so I order online Other things I drive 30 miles to H&H Sign suppy. I beleive they are a signs 101 vender?? Good stuff and good service

 

[GregT]

We use Harbor for next day items, substrates, vinyl and frames. VSS for print vinyl and anything else, tapes, blades etc.

 

[Si Allen]

I use McLogan Supply, Commercal Sign Supply and Fellers.
Since Fellers local warehouse is only 10 minutes away, I guess that makes it local, too!

 

[jayhawksigns]

We don't really have local options here. Our closest usual suppliers are 90 minutes away. Because of that we stock a fair bit of product.

But I would say that we pretty much get everything from 4 to 5 different vendors, that is everything from digital media to aluminum extrusions for backlit signs.

 

[Marlene]

I've tried to buy local for substrates but the locals charge way too much. I've tried to buy vinyl for a supplier in Vermont but they couldn't get an order right and we spent too much office time trying to keep track of wrong orders and too much time explaining to customer's why their job wasn't going to be on time. We now deal with outside of my area suppliers because of the reason's above. I get my vinyls from Hyatt's, substrates from Hart supply and other things from Gregory, Grimco and other places.

 

[CrabbyOldGuy]

We're in the sticks

There are no suppliers within 60 - 70 miles. We get all our supplies either online or by phone orders. We are large enough that most all of our orders come freight paid by the suppliers. Most of our vinyls come from Fellers or Grimco and usually in one or two days tops. Sometimes it takes longer to get the order from our shipping dock to the vinyl cutter than it takes to get it from the supplier. It does make you carry a bit more in inventory but we have fewer sales people coming through the door because they can't find us or don't want to look.

 

[Ken]

I cant vote on this one because I also live out in the sticks. Most all of my stuff comes from a few hundred miles away. I lean towards good shipping costs.
Ken

 

[cartoad]

We have no sign suppliers locally, closest is 80 or so miles away. We do get some dibond and coroplast from a local plastic supplier, a little higher than the sign suppliers, but local and great service. We consider the guys 80 miles from us as local and it is about a 50/50 split on supplies.
Hal

 

[Richard Flint]

Our main supplier of over 30 yrs. offers great service and will deliver to us the next day (minimum purchase required). For the things they don't carry, I also have a variety of different online vendors for a variety of products such as specialty vinyls, lettering brushes and hard-to-find signpainter supplies.

 

[TheSnowman]

Sign board is about all I can get locally, and it's not really too local, it's about a 45 minute drive. So I have to order everything in, but, get it from Fellers, and it's still free shipping.

 

[copperheadsigns]

I purchase about 95% locally, at Far From Normal in Fargo. They are great to deal with and very convenient. I occasionally order from Sign Warehouse and Earl Mich out of Illinois.