Where Global-Focused Partners Bring Sourcing Benefits

Supplies and Equipment Category Manager, Jeanette Tillery, Weighs In

It’s hard to argue for an isolationist policy when it comes to procurement in the modern world. Our historically complex industry has been on a global path since the time of early traders on the Silk Road. From key points like the Industrial Revolution to the invention of modern shipping containers in 1956, every innovation merely drives us closer to our neighbors across borders.

Furthermore, procurement leaders are no longer optimizing for lowest cost alone. They are balancing cost, supply assurance, product consistency, labor efficiency, and operational risks at the same time.

In this environment, distributors that focus on global connections are the ones with competitive advantage. This means businesses that seek out excellence above geography and that maintain connections beyond country lines.

For operators, the benefits of this strategy are passed down the chain, as they gain access to globally competitive prices and consistent access to essential items.

The Benefits of the Global Market

The search for the right product at the right price is difficult, but partnership with a globally focused distributor provides a leg up.

A broad international supplier network gives procurement teams more opportunities to evaluate products based on quality, performance, availability, and total cost, rather than limiting the search to a single region. In supplies and equipment categories, where product specifications and operational needs can vary significantly, that flexibility is especially valuable.

A key Foodbuy distribution partner, DON, manages an import division called IMCO that’s dedicated to global sourcing projects. The group manages long-term relationships with material and product manufacturers across continents. IMCO maintains relationships with manufacturers around the world before customers need them. They then leverage these versatile relationships to identify materials and products that outshine the competition, not just on a regional scale, but a global one.

While international competition often drives product prices lower, it also rewards the most innovative and exceptional suppliers across categories. Meanwhile, these stand-out products are brought back to United States operators to use in their facilities.

There are clear benefits to this style of sourcing in any category, however, operators can find the greatest value to their supplies sourcing portfolios. In this area, small improvements in durability, and storage or labor requirements can generate measurable savings over the life of a product.

Consistency in the Face of Challenges

Sourcing challenges are always top of mind for procurement leaders, but 2026 has been a year that highlights the inconsistency of the global supply chain and how this challenges procurement strategies.

Times like these remind us that the more flexibility we work into our systems, the more insulated we are against disruption. In procurement, one way to work that flexibility in is by maintaining relationships across regions and countries.

Groups like the IMCO division of DON can help support this approach by cultivating a diverse network of manufacturing and material partners. When a product becomes difficult to source in one region, those relationships may provide alternative production capabilities, materials, or product options elsewhere.

While this doesn’t eliminate risk completely, it provides operators with more options to navigate difficult periods. This flexibility is particularly valuable in supplies categories, where product availability can have a direct effect on operations.

For example, an operator losing access to their current to-go container product can disrupt service, increase labor demands, and create unexpected expenses. A globally connected sourcing partner like IMCO evaluates alternate manufacturing regions, substitutes equivalent products, or identifies new supplier capacity to minimize operational disruption.

Integrating Global Partnerships

The strongest procurement strategies are rarely built around a single country, supplier, or manufacturing region. They are built around optionality. Organizations that maintain access to diverse manufacturing capabilities are better positioned to navigate market disruptions while continuing to deliver value to operators.

This also means recognizing that global sourcing is not always the answer. In some cases, a domestic product may offer stronger lead times, lower freight costs or greater consistency. The objective is not to source internationally for the sake of doing so. It is to evaluate the full marketplace and identify the strongest solution for the operator.

The right sourcing decision balances cost, quality, performance, availability and risk. A globally focused partner expands the range of available options and provides the expertise needed to compare them effectively.

Jeanette Tillery is a Category Business Manager at Foodbuy, overseeing supplies and equipment categories.