From Factory to Shelf, We’ve Got You Covered
We help manufacturers keep control where it matters most.
Every leak in distribution, every counterfeit part, every breakdown in channel compliance weakens the promise your brand makes. It is not only your distributors and retail partners who depend on you, but also the end customers who count on safety, quality, and consistency.
That’s where we come in. Howell & Associates is not a software company or a legal mill. We are the partner manufacturers call when they want clarity, speed, and control. Our experts were some of the people who helped define this industry. From MAP enforcement to gray market investigations, the playbooks most companies now follow started with us. Today, we blend legal insight, eCommerce forensics, and channel strategy to stabilize pricing, close distribution leaks, and protect the brand equity you’ve spent years building.
Manufacturers Face Ongoing Challenges
The biggest threats to your brand rarely start with competitors. They often begin inside your own supply chain. Authorized inventory leaks into unauthorized channels, fueling gray market activity. Counterfeiters target high-value manufactured goods, from auto parts to power tools. Unauthorized sellers exploit MAP gaps and erode pricing integrity across marketplaces.
Global counterfeit trade now accounts for 3.3% of world trade, valued at over $467 billion annually. Manufacturing categories are among the hardest hit: counterfeit auto parts, fake safety equipment, and gray market electronics make their way into legitimate marketplaces every day. In the U.S., counterfeits and pirated goods drain an estimated $29 billion a year in lost revenue.
The cost is not just measured in dollars. A single counterfeit brake pad, power tool, or circuit board has the potential to cause injury or fatality, destroy customer trust, and expose your company to compliance and safety risks.
When the Channel Leaks, the Costs Are Measured in Billions
$3B
Annual cost of counterfeit auto parts to U.S. manufacturers
$467B
Global counterfeit trade value (3.3% of world imports)
1 in 10
Share of aftermarket parts globally estimated to be counterfeit
211K
Counterfeit auto parts seized by CBP in 2024, (nearly 2X 2023)
14%
UK drivers who admitted buying fake airbags
Growth comes with risk. The question is whether you’re staying ahead of it, or already losing ground.
“In less than 3 months, Howell & Associates cut unauthorized listings by 73%, restored MAP compliance across our key distributors, and closed two major gray market leaks. The financial impact was immediate - millions in revenue protected and pricing integrity restored across our channel.
- Director of Operations, U.S. Industrial Equipment Manufacturer
What We Do For Manufacturers
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Seller Investigation and Enforcement
Stop unauthorized sellers before they erode your margins.
We uncover who is selling your products, where they are sourcing them, and how to shut them down using compliant, platform-specific strategies. Our legal-first, investigative approach works across Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Alibaba, and other marketplaces. We protect pricing integrity, strengthen distributor relationships, and restore confidence that your brand is under control.
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Marketplace Monitoring
Know what’s happening with your products every single day.
We actively track global marketplaces to detect unauthorized listings, diverted SKUs, and counterfeit products before they spread. From power tools to circuit boards, we provide visibility that keeps you informed and ready to act. With Howell’s monitoring, you move from reactive chaos to proactive control.
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Supply Chain Leak Detection
Find the leak, fix the leak, and stop the gray market at its source.
Most gray market problems start with a distribution leak. We investigate where inventory is slipping out of authorized channels, trace it back to the source, and close the gap. The result is fewer MAP violations, more predictable revenue, and stronger trust with your legitimate partners.
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Channel Rebuilding and Optimization
Clean up the chaos, build a channel that scales with confidence.
We help you build, scale, and execute the programs to define who is authorized, remove who is not, and reset the rules of engagement across your ecosystem. With clarity restored, your margins hold, your distributor relationships thrive, and your channel becomes a growth engine, not a liability.
Leaks, counterfeits, and erosion all dilute your brand. Together we keep your channel in check.
What Manufacturers Gain
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Pricing Integrity That Holds
MAP enforcement is only effective if it is consistent. We protect your pricing across distributors, resellers, and marketplaces so it doesn’t unravel with every leak. When your pricing holds, your margins remain predictable, your brand value stays intact, and your authorized partners can compete on a level field.
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Healthier Distributor Relationships
Authorized distributors expect you to protect them from unfair competition. By removing unauthorized sellers and cleaning up gray market activity, we give your partners confidence in your commitment. Stronger relationships mean fewer disputes, less finger-pointing, and more reliable long-term growth.
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Reduced Safety and Compliance Risk
Counterfeits and diverted goods don’t just cut into sales, they create liability. A fake brake pad, a counterfeit power tool, or a gray market circuit board can put customers at risk and expose your company to compliance issues. We reduce those risks by finding and eliminating threats before they grow.
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Channels That Scale With Control
Growth only works if your channel can handle it. We rebuild seller ecosystems so you can add partners, expand into new markets, and introduce new product lines without losing visibility, consistency, or control. With a clear framework in place, your channel supports scale rather than undermining it.
Honored to Work With These Great Manufacturing Partners and More
Protecting the Brands and Products That Power the World.
We helped build the foundation of this space. From startups to Fortune 100 manufacturers, we have led organizations through the chaos of gray market leaks, counterfeit threats, and MAP violations. We know how to bring order back fast.
We stay lean, free from the bureaucracy that slows down big firms, and built to act where others stall. Our team includes some of the original experts in brand protection: strategists, enforcement specialists, and investigators who do not just know the playbook, they helped write it.
What sets Howell & Associates apart is how we work with you. We build direct relationships with your team and your partners. We fight for your brand like it is our own. And we never lose sight of what matters most: protecting the products you designed, built, and delivered to power the world.
Your products weren’t built for the gray market. They were built for your customers. Let’s shut down the leaks, restore pricing integrity, and put you back in control of your channel.