Define the commercial relationship
Start by naming the role you need: direct resale, regional distribution, shop supply, private labeling, or installer use. These arrangements can carry different inventory, marketing, reporting, territory, and customer-support obligations. A price list alone does not define who owns a customer relationship, who handles product questions, or how unsold stock is treated.
Ask the supplier to state the party you are buying from, any minimum order or reorder rule, payment and tax terms, shipping responsibility, delivery estimates, damaged-goods process, return eligibility, and any geographic restrictions. Do not rely on an informal conversation for requirements that affect cash flow or your ability to serve customers.
Verify the product file before forecasting demand
Obtain the current technical data sheet, safety data sheet, product label, approved-surface list, storage instructions, and product-specific application and aftercare documents. Check that version dates and product names match what will be supplied. If performance claims matter to your business, ask for the test method, substrate, conditions, and results that support each claim.
Separate general coating education from formula-specific statements. Words such as ceramic, SiO₂, hydrophobic, professional, or 10-year do not reveal a complete formula or a universal level of performance. Do not restate a manufacturer’s warranty duration as a guaranteed service life. Confirm exclusions, maintenance duties, registration steps, claim handling, and remedies in the complete written warranty.
- Can the supplier provide current product, safety, application, and maintenance documents?
- Which exact surfaces and user groups are approved?
- What tests support the claims used in sales materials?
- What does the written warranty cover, and who administers a claim?
Review supply and support as operating requirements
Estimate demand conservatively and understand lead times, stock notices, substitutions, shelf life, storage conditions, and lot traceability before ordering. A product that cannot be replenished predictably may disrupt booked work or create aged inventory. Agree on a method for communicating label or instruction changes so staff do not apply an outdated process.
Clarify what technical support is actually included, when it is available, and whether training is formal, optional, or not offered. If the supplier provides installer listings or brand assets, ask what permission and review process apply. Do not use the phrase “authorized installer” or imply manufacturer backing until the supplier has confirmed those terms in writing.
Build the economics from the full service cost
A wholesale price does not equal a profitable service. Estimate product consumption from verified instructions, then account for preparation labor, correction time, applicators and towels, workspace occupancy, ventilation and safety supplies, rework risk, training, payment costs, and customer follow-up. Do not estimate coverage or vehicles-per-container from an unrelated coating.
For resale, clarify whether advertised pricing, discounting, marketplaces, or brand presentation are governed by a written policy. For an installation business, confirm whether the supplier sells directly to consumers, how leads are handled, and whether any territory arrangement exists. If those policies are not stated, do not infer exclusivity.
Protect the customer promise
Your customer-facing description should match the product documentation and the service you actually perform. Specify what paint preparation, correction, coating application, and follow-up are included. Explain that liquid coatings do not make paint chip-proof or eliminate washing, and that water beading is not a complete measurement of remaining film.
Confirm who answers a technical question, who handles a product defect, and who handles workmanship concerns. Manufacturer product warranties and an installer’s workmanship policy may be separate. Make those boundaries clear in the estimate and completion documents rather than implying a single warranty covers every issue.
Current DURO wholesale information
DURO’s public information does not establish wholesale availability, distributor pricing, minimums, territory, reseller policy, supply timing, or a trade-support package. The public range currently lists DURO ONE and DURO PRO; DURO PRO is listed at $199 with a 10-year warranty duration, but the warranty conditions have not been provided here. That retail listing does not imply a wholesale rate or a 10-year service-life guarantee.
A business inquiry is the appropriate way to ask DURO whether a commercial relationship is available and what documentation and terms apply. Treat any availability, pricing, or program detail as unconfirmed until DURO supplies it in writing.