Why I Stopped Believing Suppliers Who Claim to Do Everything

If a supplier says they can do it all, I’m already skeptical.

I learned this the hard way. When I took over purchasing in 2020 for a mid-sized facility management company, I thought finding one supplier who could handle everything—from adhesives to floor coatings to traffic paint—would simplify my life. It sounded efficient. In reality, it was a nightmare.

This experience shaped how I now evaluate chemical vendors. The suppliers who are upfront about what they don’t excel at? Those are the ones I trust. The ones who claim to be a master of every trade? I run the other way.

The All-in-One Trap

In 2021, I signed a contract with a supplier who marketed themselves as a total building solutions provider. Their catalogue was thick. They had sealants, adhesives, waterproofing membranes, and even floor hardeners. On paper, it was perfect.

Six months in, we needed a specific polyurethane resin for anchoring—essentially what SikaPost Fix is known for. We had a critical structural repair at one of our client's loading docks. The supplier sold me a 'comparable' product. It failed within a week. The rework cost us $1,800 in labor and materials, not to mention the angry phone call from our client's facilities director.

That was my moment. I realized the supplier wasn't bad—they just didn't specialize in structural anchoring. They were trying to be everything to everyone, and that meant their depth in any single category was shallow.

Why Specialist Suppliers Like Sika Earn My Business

Now, I work with multiple specialized vendors. For traffic coatings, we use a supplier who only does traffic coatings. For adhesives used in automotive industry applications, I have a dedicated contact who knows the exact Sika flooring adhesive spec for that environment. For general construction chemicals, I rely on a Sika-authorized distributor.

This might sound like more work, but it isn't. Here's why:

• Technical accuracy: When I ask a specialist about how to thin epoxy resin for a specific application, they don't guess. They pull up the technical datasheet—right there, on the spot—and walk me through the ratio based on our ambient temperature. That's confidence I can't get from a generalist.
• Consistent quality: A vendor focused on sealants knows the subtleties of different polyurethane adhesive formulations. They don't substitute a high-viscosity product for a low-viscosity one because “it's basically the same.” I've seen that happen. It's not the same.
• Honest boundaries: The chemical rep who told me, “That's not our strongest area—let me recommend a colleague,” earned my trust. I've kept them as a supplier for years because of that honesty. I'm now their biggest advocate in my company for all sealant-related needs.

What About DND Paints and Other Specialties?

I also handle ordering for secondary products like paints. We've used DND paints for some decorative projects. Now, could my general chemical supplier also sell me paint? Probably. But would they know the optimal formulation for a high-traffic corridor? I doubt it. That's why I stick with a paint specialist for paint, and a chemical specialist for chemicals.

I get why people push back on this. Budgets are real, and managing multiple vendor relationships is a pain. But I've found that the administrative overhead of six specialist vendors is less than the headache of fixing one bad batch of the wrong product. Processing about 80 orders a year across 6 vendors is manageable. Dealing with rework from a single incompetent order is not.

The Exception That Proves The Rule

Now, to be fair, there are suppliers who manage a broad portfolio well. Sika, for example, does have a vast range—from Sika traffic coating to adhesives to floor coatings. But the key difference is that each product line has deep technical support behind it. They aren't just reselling a generic product with a new label.

The distinction is between breadth with depth and breadth with shallowness. A supplier who can explain the chemical resistance chart for their floor coating versus a competitor's? That's depth. A supplier who just reads you the price? Shallow.

My Rule of Thumb Now

I have a simple test: Ask the supplier a specific technical question about a product they claim to be an expert in. Not a general question—something like, “What's the open time on this SikaPost Fix resin at 40°F?” If they hesitate, or if they read the website back to me, I'm out.

Honestly, I'm not sure why some companies still push the 'do everything' model. My best guess is it comes down to trying to capture more wallet share. But it backfires. The moment a customer needs real technical depth, the 'everything' supplier loses credibility.

So here's my advice: Don't look for a supplier who can do everything. Look for one who knows what they do best—and is honest about where they don't belong. That honesty is more valuable than a thicker catalogue any day.