A rep is an agent. They never take title to the goods, carry no inventory, and get paid a commission only once an order actually ships. Their value is technical knowledge, local relationships, and sales effort, not warehousing or credit. A distributor is a reseller. They buy product at wholesale, hold stock, extend credit terms to customers, and make their money on the spread between what they paid and what they charge. That means they carry inventory and receivables risk the rep never does. Many manufacturers use both in the same territory. A rep drives the technical sale and gets the product specified. A distributor handles physical fulfillment once an order is placed. A rep needs to know which live projects specify their lines early enough to call the contractor before the bid goes out. That is the sales-trigger moment their business model depends on. A distributor is more often reacting after an order is placed. Nonlinear reads specifications as they are published, so a rep can act before a purchase order arrives.
Knowledge Base
What's the difference between a manufacturer's rep and a distributor?
A manufacturer's rep sells on commission without ever owning the product. A distributor buys the product outright, holds inventory, and resells it at a markup. These are two different relationships to the same sale.
