The EO Supply Chain

[Guest guest]

Hi y'all,

 

Continuing to send a few old posts to maybe edumocate some of the new

folks a bit .. and sorry if it bores those who are in the know .. :-(

 

Here's one from another list from way back.

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> Can some smart person on this list please give me a one line are

> description of the following categories and the order in which the oils

> handled. Am I forgetting any important ones?? Thanks a bunch!

 

> Producer (same as grower?)

 

The Producer might also be the Grower but normally that's not the case.

The Producer is a Distiller but could be a Distiller/Grower - might be a

Distiller that buys aromatic plants from a farmer or wild plants from

the local peasants.

 

> Exporter

 

The Producer might also be the Exporter - but maybe half the time the

Exporter buys directly from the Producer and Exports to buyers he/she

has located. Producers/Distillers are often not manned to handle export

nor do they have the experience.

 

> Importer

> Broker

 

The Importer is the direct buyer in the country receiving the goods from

the country that has exported the goods. The Importer might be a Broker

or a Wholesaler or even a Retailer in the case of oils like Rose Otto.

I export directly to some Retailers .. and to some Wholesalers .. and to

some Brokers.

 

> Supplier (how different from distributor?)

 

The Supplier is one who supplies. It can be the Producer, the Exporter,

the Importer, the Broker, The Wholesaler or the Retailer .. it is the

one who supplies what is being bought.

 

> Synthesizer (what is this?)

 

A Synthesizer is a musical instrument! ;-) In the case of EOs, it can

be one who Synthesizes (or adulterates) oils and it doesn't necessarily

fit within the catagories mentioned above - or below - but it can.

 

> Distributor (retailer?)

 

Can be all the above ... or one or two of the above. There's no

particular action or lack of action that could qualify or disqualify one

from being called a distributor - HOWSOMEEVER - the term has become

associated with one who distributes products for a particular producer

or manufacturer.

 

> Manufacturer

 

Generally one who makes goods - fabricates articles. There are some who

you might call Synthesizers who could also be called Manufacturers, even

when discussing essential oils. They should probably be avoided .. ;-)

Essential Oil Producers should not be described as Manufacturers.

 

> Wholesaler

 

One who sales at a larger minimum volume than a retailer. Example: On

an EO seller's Retail List the largest size of an EO might be 20 or 30

ml - but their Wholesale List might have the smallest size as 4 ounces

or roughly 120 ml.

 

One can be many of these things at the same time. I'm a contract

Producer of essential oils and a direct Producer of my trademark brand

of herbal teas, sunflower seeds and some other products ... I'm an

Exporter and a Broker while I'm wearing my Turkish company hat .... an

Importer and a Wholesaler and Retailer when wearing my American company

hat .. I'm a Supplier and Distributor regardless of the hat I wear and

I'm never a Synthesizer.

 

If you don't get wrapped around anything I've written above - that is,

don't try to chisel it into stone, you'll understand it better.

 

Y'all keep smiling, Butch http://www.AV-AT.com