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FAQ’s for Vendors• What is the advantage of being an approved vendor to MNGC?Being an approved vendor gives you an inside track to over 750 of the top independent garden centers in the country. Being an approved vendor is kind of like getting a stamp of approval from the cooperative. In turn, vendors can assume that Master Nursery members have been “vetted” by the cooperative and that they are credit-worthy and responsible business owners. Approved vendors have marketing opportunities, like exhibiting at our Annual Conclave and advertising in our publications, which are only available to approved vendors. Vendors also benefit by the cooperative’s central billing system, relieving them of doing credit checks on each store, and allowing them to deal with one central office instead of hundreds. • How can our company become an approved vendor to MNGC? Master Nursery Garden Centers is always open to talking to companies about becoming an approved vendor to the cooperative. In particular, we look for vendors that want to partner with independent garden centers so that both parties can thrive. Being an approved vendor is our stamp of approval, so if the management team of the cooperative is not familiar with your company, you will need to “sell us on your product or services.” This is not a formal process or application, it is done through one-on-one conversations and communications between your organization and the cooperative’s management team. Any company that has a product or service of interest to independent garden centers is welcome to contact our office. • Is there a fee or cost to become a vendor? There is no fee to become an approved vendor to the cooperative. Approved vendors are expected to give members preferential prices or terms. There is not a specific discount required (because circumstances and products vary substantially). Our management works with each vendor in establishing these special deals. The cooperative is compensated by earning 6% of all approved vendors sales to members, excluding freight, through our central billing process. • How does central billing work? Members order directly from each vendor. Vendors deliver the product directly to the member and then send the invoice to the cooperative central office. The cooperative invoices the members (for the exact amount billed to them by the vendor) and the member pays the cooperative. The cooperative then pays the vendor, at a 6% discount. • Do the Master Nursery member support individuals act as salespeople for the approved vendors? No. It is the responsibility of each vendor to promote and sell their products and services to the members. Members support individuals do encourage members to buy from approved vendors, and as much as possible, they keep abreast of special offers from vendors or new products or vendors being added. They help to bring this information to the attention of members, but they are not a sales force for vendors. The member support team’s primary responsibility is to help the members make the most of their memberships; their focus is the member not the vendor. • Do you accept competing vendors? Yes. Although we attempt to limit the number in specialty areas. • If a company is an approved vendor does that mean they can produce products under the Master Nursery brand? No. Being an approved vendor is different from being a producer/supplier of Master Nursery products. While the cooperative has about 100 approved vendors, there are only a small number of suppliers for the Master Nursery branded products. Master Nursery brand products are produced by outside suppliers under contract with us. Because these are OUR products and we guarantee them, it is imperative that the private label suppliers meet our specifications and expectations. Therefore we work closely with them regarding all aspects of production, packaging and distribution. Contracts to produce the Master Nursery branded products usually give the producer/supplier an exclusive right-to-produce for a specified geographic region for a specified period of time. |
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