From dance floors to bumpers to tarps – that’s custom sourcing

Comtrad serves a wide range of industries, from hospitality furniture to custom glass for aquariums and sports locker doors. We pride ourselves on consistently providing the best, most reliable strategic sourcing and logistics support. Over the past 40 years we have developed strong relationships with our Asian sourcing partners and suppliers, so when a unique sourcing request comes in, we are well positioned to deliver. We take the risk out of overseas sourcing of custom manufactured products and ensure compliance of those products with federal and local regulations such as PROP65 and CARB2. We work with our customers and industry leading third-party labs to test products according to American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specifications and other industry standards (e.g. UL, BIFMA, KCMA, etc.). We work with our supply chain and keep each other informed of the latest trends and updates to remain competitive and capable as industry needs evolve. By leveraging the expertise of our sourcing partners, we have been able to deliver on some very unusual product requests.

custom overseas sourcing - dance floor
custom overseas sourcing - stairs with rubber bumpers

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We love a good challenge and are always willing to help turn our customers’ new and novel ideas into fruitful sourcing programs. We are continuously broadening our network, so please contact us with your specific requirements, and we will do our best to source it for you.

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Notable projects

Illuminated Dance Floor Tiles

An event planner that specializes in stage and set designs for conferences and special events was looking at importing illuminated, synchronized dance floor tiles, but was not sure how to proceed. Our customer was nervous about committing $40K+ for products unseen, having no working relation with a supplier candidate, no way of ensuring that what was received would operate as claimed, and no clear recourse if there were issues. Our customer was also unsure about import regulations, customs procedures and logistics. With deadlines fast approaching and some heavy questions looming, he reached out to Comtrad.

Result: Working with our partners in Asia we vetted and qualified a supplier, cementing our confidence that they would deliver for our customer. We also accepted the financial risk and negotiated terms with the supplier. We coordinated the import logistics smoothly. The tiles arrived on time and to spec, resulting in very satisfied new customers (our customer and theirs), and a new supply partner for Comtrad.

Marine Dock Bumpers

A long-time Comtrad sales specialist had a contact who was looking for a supplier of reasonably priced, quality marine components. It was not a product we had sourced before, but our specialist brought the idea, with drawings, back to our offices anyway. We began the process with our overseas sourcing agent, who quickly identified a manufacturer that she knew was a perfect fit for the job. They were already involved in the manufacture of marine grade products; they had the appropriate equipment and they were just the right size to be flexible enough to meet our needs and were eager to break into a new market.

Result: The factory quickly produced samples which were approved with the same efficiency, and the order was delivered on time and on budget to one very satisfied customer. We have since received multiple containers from the supplier, and our product line with them has expanded considerably.

Concrete Curing Blankets and Insulating Tarps

Some of our customers in the construction industry were looking for a reliable, economical source for concrete curing blankets and insulating tarps, a product category that we had not sourced before. Collaboration between our sales team, sourcing specialists and our customer resulted in a design that would save on the cost per unit yet maintain the structural integrity and insulation performance needed for a quality curing blanket.

Result: Customer spec sheets and samples were taken to a reliable supplier who quickly turned out their own sample, which was eagerly accepted. We have since delivered a tarp that has performance advantages and costs savings over the competition, and we will be importing multiple containers of these curing blankets every season. Our customer was so pleased with the result, they have asked us to keep a back-up container of tarps on hand in case they ever run out.