Need for new wholesaler?

E

Express Corals

Good morning all. Does DFW need a new wholesaler? I am imagining a place that receives weekly shipments directly from the suppliers, so you won't need to compete with the other retailers in LAX all trying to cherry-pick the best livestock. It would be local, so you could browse and select your purchases in person, rather than relying on pictures. It would provide a reliable source of high-end aquacultured corals as well, albeit on a small scale (at least at first). And, since it would start small, it could be flexible to meet the current market demands of local retailers. All livestock would be treated to ensure pest-free corals and all purchases would be hand delivered. We are on the verge of starting just this sort of operation. We are set to create a very low-overhead operation with weekly shipments coming directly from Fiji and Australia. Our aquaculture operation should be up and running by Christmas. No group of people know better than the members of DFWMAS: is there a real need for this?  Dan
 
Agree with fperkins.  I will also add that all the local wholesalers that I've known about didn't make it long term.
 
too answer your question, yes we need a good stream of corals that have not been picked over. many of our Good LFS have been flying to go select what the want and bypassing any local wholesaler. As you well know, when we attend events on either coast the selection is much better than what we get into DFW.
 
I sincerely appreciate your comments.  fperkins: I have asked, and the response I've gotten can probably best be described as vague. There are basement sellers, online only sellers, frag swaps, FB markets, and brick and mortar sellers all trying to get and sell the "good stuff," as Steve mentioned. The supply chain is totally confused. Retailers are buying directly from suppliers, from wholesalers, from other retailers, and hobbyists. It seems to me that Steve nailed the heart of the problem: there's not a solid, reliable source of quality corals right here in DFW. And as Opus mentioned, those that have tried have not succeeded.In my humble opinion, the saltwater economy in DFW is not what it should be. With more than 7 million people, there should be more tanks supported by more retailers. Brick and mortar LFSs should be thriving, not starving. People should be buying corals in their neighborhoods much more frequently than they buy over FaceBook. Corals should be in a bag only from the supplier to DFW airport, rather than from the supplier to LAX, transhipped to a retailer, then rebagged and shipped again via FedEx to the end customer. Simpler supply chain equals less dead loss. We wouldn't do it with kittens, we shouldn't do it with corals.I honestly wasn't sure about pulling the trigger on this operation. Now I am. Express Corals will be up and running by the end of the year. We will have a location probably in Lewisville. We will try and overcome these issues and make it so our local retailers don't have to fly around the world to get high-quality, healthy, pest-free livestock. We might not make much profit. We might fail. But we're going to do our best to succeed in contributing to a more vibrant saltwater economy in DFW. I sincerely appreciate all your input. Dan EngbersonExpress Corals
 
We all know the market is over saturated with corals, the normal corals that we all share with each other. Corals that are rarely seen here are considered average on the east and west coast. Allot of great corals go straight to tanks that are being serviced, and that is great but it would be nice to see some of those at an affordable price at the LFS too. When you order online you are at risk of not getting what you thought you were getting. Buying in person is the best way to ensure the corals are alive and it is the coral you want. I wish you all the best with this new venture, and when you are open, lets schedule a club event so the members can do a tour and get you some reviews out there.
 
Thank you Steve. I am optimistic that I can help get some of those truly excellent corals into our DFW retailers. I will try, even if I have to go to Fiji and Australia myself and get them (how about that for an excuse for a vacation, eh?). Love the DFWMAS event idea. I look forward to it.  Dan
 
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