Chicago
Chicago
Here in the Chicago area, there are hundreds of Distributors- literally. I agree that it is best to work with 2 or 3 vendors-can't put you're eggs all in 1 basket. There are so many "specialty" houses, too- I guess it depends on what you need and how much time you want to spend checking prices. Customer service has Always been very important to me, and getting correct, quality material in a timely manner is worth paying a bit more.
But when doing service work, its ALL about Location AND Local Stock. We are very lucky to have SO many sources available to us here- Its a good thing. Stock is important to me, so having a few "distribution centers" does not work for me as well as somebody with several well stocked locations. Oh, & the counter staff MUST be good, too.
Plus, we have Manufacturer Reps with very good stock near O'Hare as well- which helps smaller dists compete with the big boys.