Sourcing from China since 2019 · Based in Canada

Custom pieces for your business — made in China, checked before they ship.

Q: Do you have a minimum order?

No fixed minimum. We work in made-to-order quantities as a matter of course, and we have spent years building relationships with factories that hold their standard on a custom run rather than only chasing container loads. Orders travel on our regular freight lanes, so shipping stays sensible whatever the volume.

Q: Can you match my brand colour?

Yes. Send a Pantone code or a physical swatch. The factory makes a colour sample first, and we photograph it in daylight next to your reference before anything goes into production. Powder coat, paint, fabric and printed graphics can all be matched.

Q: How long does it take?

Most projects land 10 to 14 weeks after you approve the sample: four to six weeks in production, four to six on the water to Western Canada, and about a week for customs and delivery. You get a dated schedule with the quote, and we tell you the moment anything moves.

Q: What if something arrives damaged or wrong?

You call us. Because we inspected and photographed your pieces before they shipped, we can show the factory exactly what left their floor, and a replacement or credit is negotiated by us, in Mandarin, not by you. Transit damage is claimed through the freight insurance we arrange on every shipment.

Q: Do you take commission from the factories?

No. Our fee comes from you and is agreed in writing before work begins. You pay the factory directly and see its original invoice, so we have no reason to steer you toward whoever pays the biggest kickback.

Q: How is this different from ordering on Alibaba myself?

Alibaba shows you who pays to be visible, and a large share of those listings are trading companies. We verify what is actually behind the listing, put a real person on the factory floor to check your goods, and stay on the phone after delivery. You get one accountable person in your time zone instead of a chat window in theirs.

Q: What can you make?

Furniture, fixtures and fittings for commercial spaces: outdoor and indoor seating, tables, racks and rigs, reception desks, shelving, counters, lockers, signage and displays. Steel, timber, aluminium, rattan, upholstery, acrylic and glass are all well covered. If your product sits outside what we know well, we will say so on the first call rather than learn on your money.

Eight patio sets in your brand colour. Fifteen racks for the new gym. A reception desk that matches the drawings. Orders too small for a factory to bother with, too custom for Costco — and the local supplier quoted you triple.

We are based in Vancouver and have worked the factory floors of southern China since 2019. We know which makers hold their standard on a made-to-order run, we do not let anything ship until we have seen it, and if something goes wrong you call one person — and that person picks up.

Get a Sourcing Quote See our product gallery

Fee agreed in writing before any work starts · You always see the factory’s original invoice

Benjamin Ling — the person you deal with Ran supply chain in-house in Shenzhen before starting 45 Imports. Now in Vancouver, still working the same factory floor. Connect on LinkedIn →

Custom retail fixture produced in southern China

Powder-coated steel racks on the factory floor

Since 2019Making things in China for businesses abroad

Built to your specYour colour, your dimensions, your logo

Checked before it shipsPhotos of your actual pieces before the balance clears

One person, your hoursVancouver time zone, Mandarin on the factory floor

Why this exists

You are the wrong size for everyone else.

Big enough to need it made properly, in your colour, to your drawing. Too small for anyone in the chain to care. That gap is where owners lose months and money, and it is the only gap we work in.

The factory stops replying once it hears "fifteen". Your order is not worth their sales rep's afternoon.

Costco has a patio set. It is not your colour, it is not your size, and it will never carry your logo.

The local supplier quotes triple, wants half up front, and cannot deliver this season.

The Alibaba sample looked right. What comes out of the container is anyone's guess, and nobody checked.

Freight, duty and delivery to your door turn a good quote into a surprise invoice.

Something arrives chipped or short, and there is nobody in the country to call.

Services

One person handles the whole thing.

From your photo, sketch or drawing to a truck at your door. You make one decision at each step; we do the rest.

Find the right factory →

We know which makers in southern China take a small custom order seriously, and which only pretend to. Real factories, licences checked, capacity confirmed.

Match your brand

Your Pantone, your logo, your dimensions. A sample is made in your colour and photographed next to your reference before you commit to the run.

Price it honestly

Negotiated in Mandarin on your behalf and quoted with freight, duty and delivery included, so the number you approve is the number you pay.

Check it before it ships →

We inspect your finished pieces at the factory — colour, welds, finish, count, packing — and you see the photos before the balance is released.

Ship it to your door

Sea freight, customs paperwork and delivery to your café, gym, clinic or shop. You do not touch a form or chase a forwarder.

Pick up the phone

A chipped leg, a short count, a delayed vessel: you call one person in Vancouver, in your hours, and it gets sorted with the factory in Mandarin — not by you.

How it works

Five steps, one decision at each.

You approve before anything moves forward. No money leaves your hands on a "trust me".

Tell us what you need

A photo, a sketch or a link to the thing you like; how many; what colour; when it has to be on site. If it is not a job we can do well, we say so on this call.

20 minutes

One number, delivered

A quote that already includes the product, freight, duty and delivery to your door, with the factory named and a dated schedule beside it.

Typically within 5 business days

Sample & sign-off

One piece made in your colour, measured and photographed in daylight next to your reference. Shipped to you if you want to sit on it first.

Revised until you sign off

Production & inspection

You pay the factory directly. We follow the run, then inspect the finished pieces on site — colour, finish, count, packing — before anything is released.

Progress photos + inspection report

Delivery

Export documents, freight and customs handled, tracked until the truck reaches your door. Then you have our number for as long as you own the pieces.

Door to door, no surprise invoice

Who we help

Built for owners who make the decision themselves.

One owner, one call, no procurement department. You do not need a returns policy; you need someone local who gets it made right.

Cafés & restaurants

Outdoor dining sets in your brand colour
Patio umbrellas, planters & screens
Bar stools, banquettes & tabletops
Menu boards & exterior signage

Gyms & studios

Racks, rigs & benches in your colour
Rubber flooring & wall storage
Lockers, cubbies & reception
Branded plates, mats & accessories

Clinics & offices

Reception desks built to your drawing
Waiting-room seating & tables
Storage, partitions & privacy screens
Wayfinding & room signage

Shops & showrooms

Shelving, gondolas & wall fixtures
Counters, cash wraps & display tables
Rails, mannequins & fitting-room fit-out
Seasonal & launch displays

Why work with us

Quality. Transparency. Integrity.

The hardest part of ordering from the other side of the world is not knowing what is happening over there. Most agents earn on the gap between what the factory charges and what you pay — and that gap only works while you can't see it.

Who is actually making your product?

What is the real production cost?

Is the factory the right fit for the job?

Is the quality what you were promised?

What we put in front of you

The factory's original invoice, unedited
Its real name, address and business licence
Every quote we collected, priced on the same spec
Our fee, agreed in writing and unchanged by which factory you pick
Inspection photos and video before you release the balance
Full delivered cost — freight, duty, port charges, the truck to your door

What a hidden-margin agent shows you

One "best price", markup already baked in
A supplier name you cannot verify, or none at all
Quotes on quietly different specs
A factory commission you never learn about
Photos the factory took of itself, if any
A factory-gate price that becomes a surprise bill at your port

You pay the factory directly — money for your goods never sits in our account. We hand-pick manufacturers on capability, reliability and track record, not the lowest quotation. Our job is not just to find you a factory; it is to give you confidence in the whole process.

On the ground

Our network sits in the world's densest factory belt.

Factories, materials, finishing and freight concentrated within a few hours’ drive of each other. Steel, timber, aluminium, rattan, acrylic, glass, upholstery and powder coating, all on the same road. That density is why a made-to-order run can still be priced properly: there is always a factory that is the right fit for the job.

ShenzhenFactory, materials supplier and testing lab in one day

< 1 hourFrom Hong Kong; sea and air freight out of three ports

Since 2019How we know which factories can deliver

Two time zonesProgress happens while you sleep

Background

We learned this on retail displays — the hard version of the job.

POP display manufacturing → · Store fixtures & shopfitting → · Seasonal decoration sourcing →

Point-of-sale and retail displays are several materials, several factories and an in-store date that cannot move. Café furniture, gym racks and reception desks use the same steel, timber, powder coating and packing, with fewer moving parts. Multi-part products don't scare us.

SteelPowder coatingTimberAluminiumRattan & wicker UpholsteryAcrylicGlassPlasticInjection moulding Cardboard & corrugatePrint & finishingCustom packaging

We have worked on and completed projects for companies including

7-Eleven99 Bikes AustraliaBlueScope SteelBoundary Bend Coca-ColaDan Murphy'sDisneyDulux Edwards & CoFlavour MakersGeneral Mills AustraliaLavazza LEGOLindtMieleMyer Australia RossanR U OK?Saputo Dairy AustraliaSmarterLite Group Snooze BeddingSony PicturesSusansTwinings Universal Studiosand more

Work history: brands whose display and product programs we worked on as part of a supply chain team. This describes our experience and implies no endorsement of, or current relationship with, 45 Imports.

Product gallery

What we have actually made.

Retail fixtures, steel racks, seasonal decoration and hard goods produced across southern China. Most combine several materials and several factories, held to one delivery date — the same discipline your patio sets or reception desk will get.

Grocery brand floor displays

Freestanding corrugate units for Betty Crocker, Nature Valley and Old El Paso — printed, die-cut and flat-packed for freight.

CorrugateLitho printFlat-pack

Miele Triflex demo stand

An appliance demonstration unit with an illuminated brand header and printed spec panels down the wing.

BoardPrintLED header

Two-tier bike racks

Powder-coated steel racks with lift-up upper rails, trial-assembled and load-tested at the factory before shipment.

SteelPowder coatingKnock-down

Christmas ornament range

Shatterproof baubles matched against Pantone references, alongside artificial trees, garland and tinsel from the same programme.

Pantone matchPVCAssembly

Cosmetics floor stand

Five tiers with side hook arms, colour-matched to the campaign and braced to hold glass units without bowing.

CardboardHook armsPrint

Boat-shape seafood display

A one-off shape with a printed hull and standing sail, engineered to ship flat and assemble without tools.

CorrugateCustom die-cutWave print

See the full product gallery — 32 projects

Pricing

Transparent, project-based pricing.

Every project is priced according to product complexity, order value and the level of management required. You get that number in writing before any work starts, and it does not move afterwards.

POP displays and store fixtures are quoted at no charge. We already have those factories, so there is no search to pay for — send a drawing or a photo for a display or a shop fixture and you get a price back.

Product complexity

Eight identical patio sets in one colour is not the same job as a reception desk built to a drawing across a joinery, a metal shop and a stone supplier. The work involved sets the fee — not a fixed percentage applied to everything.

Order value

Larger orders spread the management cost over more pieces and are priced at a lower rate, and a made-to-order run is quoted on the work it actually takes. We will tell you where your project falls on the first call.

Level of management required

Some owners already have a factory and only need someone to check the goods before they ship. Others want the whole thing handled — sourcing, sample, production, freight and the truck to the door. You pay for the part you actually need.

What does not change, on any project

Quoted before work beginsThe fee is agreed in writing up front. No hourly creep, no invoice you did not expect.

Never tied to the factory you pickOur fee is the same whichever supplier you choose, so we have no reason to steer you anywhere.

No commission from suppliersWe are paid by you and only by you. You pay the factory directly and always see its original invoice.

Nothing owed until you have a decision to makeThe first call and the initial read on your product are part of quoting the job.

Get a Sourcing Quote See how we stay transparent

FAQ

Questions people ask before starting.

Do you have a minimum order?

No fixed minimum. We work in made-to-order quantities as a matter of course, and we have spent years building relationships with factories that hold their standard on a custom run rather than only chasing container loads. Orders travel on our regular freight lanes, so shipping stays sensible whatever the volume.

Can you match my brand colour?

Yes. Send a Pantone code or a physical swatch. The factory makes a colour sample first, and we photograph it in daylight next to your reference before anything goes into production. Powder coat, paint, fabric and printed graphics can all be matched.

How long does it take?

Most projects land 10 to 14 weeks after you approve the sample: four to six weeks in production, four to six on the water to Western Canada, and about a week for customs and delivery. You get a dated schedule with the quote, and we tell you the moment anything moves.

What if something arrives damaged or wrong?

You call us. Because we inspected and photographed your pieces before they shipped, we can show the factory exactly what left their floor, and a replacement or credit is negotiated by us, in Mandarin, not by you. Transit damage is claimed through the freight insurance we arrange on every shipment.

Do you take commission from the factories?

No. Our fee comes from you and is agreed in writing before work begins. You pay the factory directly and see its original invoice, so we have no reason to steer you toward whoever pays the biggest kickback.

How is this different from ordering on Alibaba myself?

Alibaba shows you who pays to be visible, and a large share of those listings are trading companies. We verify what is actually behind the listing, put a real person on the factory floor to check your goods, and stay on the phone after delivery. You get one accountable person in your time zone instead of a chat window in theirs.

What can you make?

Furniture, fixtures and fittings for commercial spaces: outdoor and indoor seating, tables, racks and rigs, reception desks, shelving, counters, lockers, signage and displays. Steel, timber, aluminium, rattan, upholstery, acrylic and glass are all well covered. If your product sits outside what we know well, we will say so on the first call rather than learn on your money.

Get started

Tell us what you need.

A photo or a sketch, how many, what colour, and when it has to be on site. You'll get an honest read on cost and timing within one business day.

Emailhello@45imports.com

WhatsApp+1 604 768 5900

Based inVancouver, Canada · Working hours Mon–Fri, 9am–6pm Pacific Time

Websitewww.45imports.com

Response timeWithin 1 business day, every enquiry

Your name *

Company

Email *

Country

What do you need?

Estimated quantity

Budget, if you have one

Product description *

Your details stay between us and are never shared with suppliers without your say-so.

How people come to work with us

Nobody hands a stranger a production run.

Sourcing is a trust purchase. Buyers rarely commit on one exposure — they recognise you a few times first. So every touchpoint says the same thing and leads back here.

1Find us on LinkedInA real person with a real history, not an anonymous inbox.

2Have a conversationTell us the piece, how many, what colour, and when it has to be on site.

3Read the siteWhat we do, how we price it, and exactly what we put in front of you.

4Recognise the workFixtures you have already seen in stores, made by factories we manage.

5Browse the galleryThirty-two builds across corrugate, timber, steel, acrylic and moulding.

6Start with one thingOne piece sampled, or one quote checked — small enough to be low risk.

7See the report, then scalePhotos and AQL results before the balance clears. Then the next order is easy.

Get a Sourcing Quote Benjamin on LinkedIn