How a US coatings distributor captured demand from key formulators with Who Can Supply

  • Case Study - Who Can Supply
  • Coatings Applications

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Who

The US arm of a global specialty chemical distribution group, focused on the US coatings market 

Solution

SpecialChem's Who Can Supply listed the distributor on the product pages US formulators already visit, with direct sample and contact requests. 

Challenge

Grow sales and find new customers. Formulators were already looking for their products, but leads reached them days late, forwarded by their principals. 

Result

Sample and contact requests in seven months from US formulators, including Sherwin-Williams, Henkel, and Sika. Each one reached the sales team within 48 hours.

Who

The US arm of a global specialty chemical distribution group, focused on the US coatings market 

Challenge

Grow sales and find new customers. Formulators were already looking for their products, but leads reached them days late, forwarded by their principals. 

Solution

SpecialChem's Who Can Supply listed the distributor on the product pages US formulators already visit, with direct sample and contact requests. 

Result

Sample and contact requests in seven months from US formulators, including Sherwin-Williams, Henkel, and Sika. Each one reached the sales team within 48 hours.

A US coatings distributor ready to capture specifier demand online

The client is the US arm of a global specialty chemical distribution group. They carry products from many principals across coatings, adhesives, and plastics, and coatings is their priority market. Their goal is to grow sales and win new customers in the US. 

Timing was the obstacle. Several of their principals run their own SpecialChem programs. Leads for those products reached the distributor only after the producer forwarded them, and there was always a delay. That delay has a cost. SpecialChem data shows that when an inquiry is qualified within 24 hours, a project is identified in close to 70% of cases. After a two-week delay, that rate falls to 10%. 

The distributor also wanted a clear way to show their principals that they actively promote their products. To address both needs, they became one of the first distributors to test Who Can Supply, released in March 2026.

All three checks of SpecialChem’s distributor readiness checklist were already in place:

  • Specifiers were already active on their portfolio. Most of their principals rank among the top 100 suppliers on SpecialChem, some in the top 15 to 40.
  • They had a product and territory list to map. Their contracts with producers often cover specific US states, and they knew which products they cover where.
  • Their team already handled digital leads. Their sales team qualifies each request before sending a sample, and tracks leads and opportunities in their CRM.

If your company passes the same three checks, the results below can apply to you too.

Who Can Supply in practice: start with a few suppliers, expand as results come

The program started in March 2026, on the Coatings platform, for the US.

Pre-sales diagnosis. Before the start, the Distributors Analytics Dashboard showed how much specifier demand already crossed the distributor's categories and territory. The distributor chose to start with a few suppliers for which SpecialChem could confirm a good activity level on product pages.

Setup and follow-up. The distributor shares their product portfolio, the states they cover, and the technical data sheets. SpecialChem's team handles product listing and data classification. Requests then reach the distributor's sales team within 48 hours, with the supplier name and US state added over time to match their sales territories. Requests from outside their territory are not routed to them. Regular review calls track request volume, quality, and conversion.

Expansion. In August 2026, as results came in and the team had capacity, the distributor extended the program to more verticals: adhesives, polymer additives, and plastics. Request buttons went live on those platforms within two to three working days. You can start small, then expand at your own pace.

WCS_case_study_timeline

Sherwin-Williams, Henkel and Sika among the formulators who asked

Between April and October 2026, the program generated sample and contact requests from US formulators. Each one reached the sales team directly within 48 hours, instead of waiting for a principal to forward it.

Requests came from US formulators such as Sherwin-Williams, Henkel, and Sika.

Those same product pages also drew requests from formulators outside the US, opening a path to a wider, global program.

Three lessons for distributors starting with Who Can Supply

Start where specifier demand already exists. Request volume follows the products formulators already look at. Start with the principals whose product pages show strong activity, then add others as results come in.

Plan campaigns alongside inbound demand. The distributor tested Who Can Supply in its first months as an isolated feature. They then added Newsletter banners and targeted mailings on the most-viewed products. It helped lift requests. Plan such campaigns from day one, and share them with your principals: they are visible proof that you actively promote their products.

Talk to the requester before you ship a sample. The distributor's sales team checks each request before sending a sample. A short call confirms the project is real, avoids the cost of unused samples, and can open the door to other products in your portfolio.

Put your distribution network in front of formulators already searching

If you distribute specialty ingredients in the US, formulators are already looking for the products you sell. Not sure your team is ready? Run the three checks first.

Book a 20-minute demand review with our team.

You will see which of your principals' product pages already draw US formulators, and where Who Can Supply could send you requests first.
Book a consultation