Mana Manufacturers' Agents National Association

What Mana Manufacturers' Agents National Association does

Manufacturers' Agents National Association (MANA) is a U.S. 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association founded in 1947 that connects independent manufacturers' representative sales agencies with manufacturers seeking outsourced sales coverage. Its headquarters are in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, with a secondary legal/copyright correspondence address in Cincinnati, Ohio. The organization is owned by its manufacturer and rep members, governed by a Board of Directors of working industry professionals, and operates with a staff of 11-50.

MANA's core products are three proprietary online directories (RepFinder® for manufacturers seeking reps, LineFinder® for reps seeking lines, and SubRepFinder® for sub-representative searches), accessible exclusively to members through its mannaonline.org portal, plus Agency Sales Magazine, a monthly publication since 1949 bundled with membership. Supporting assets include online classifieds (Reps Wanted, Lines Wanted, Job Opportunities, Rep Agency For Sale), a "Fee For Service Addendum" template, educational seminars and MANAchat webinars, regional meetings, and the A League of Their Own (ALOTO) special interest group for women reps. Mobile apps for RepFinder are published on Apple App Store and Google Play.

MANA's business model is membership-funded through three annual-dues tiers (Manufacturer, Rep Agency, Associate) with a secondary flat-rate advertising stream across print and online placements. Revenue is reinvested into member benefits rather than distributed as profit. The association extends internationally through a board seat on IUCAB (21 national associations across Europe, North and South America), recommends dual membership with at least 12 industry-specific associations (NEMRA, ERA, AIM/R, PTRA, HIRA, IHRA, ISA, MAFSI, NMRA, EFC-CEMRA, HDMRC), and has been invited to present at Harvard Business School's Rock Center for Entrepreneurship.

Name

Mana Manufacturers' Agents National Association

Legal name

Manufacturers' Agents National Association

Website

https://manaonline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MANA is a U.S. 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association founded in 1947 that uses proprietary RepFinder, LineFinder, and SubRepFinder directories, Agency Sales Magazine, and advocacy to connect independent manufacturers' rep agencies with manufacturers seeking outsourced sales representation across 100+ industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Morton Grove

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Dues: MANA operates as a 501(c)6 nonprofit trade association. Rep members pay annual dues; manufacturer members also pay annual dues. Dues revenue is reinvested into member benefits rather than distributed as profits. MANA files annually to maintain IRS-recognized nonprofit status.
2. Advertising Revenue: MANA generates advertising revenue through Agency Sales magazine (print and online classifieds) and online advertising. Simple flat-rate pricing with no minimum is offered for advertisers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MANA is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association founded in 1947 that connects independent manufacturers' representatives (sales reps) with manufacturers seeking outsourced sales representation. It operates three proprietary online directories — RepFinder (for manufacturers to find reps), LineFinder (for reps to find manufacturers), and SubRepFinder — alongside Agency Sales Magazine (published monthly since 1949), educational events, advocacy, and a member Code of Ethics.

Product overview

MANA offers a platform of membership-based services connecting independent sales representatives with manufacturers. The core offerings include three proprietary directories (RepFinder®, LineFinder®, and SubRepFinder®) that serve as the primary matchmaking tools between manufacturers seeking qualified sales representation and rep agencies seeking new product lines. Additional services include Agency Sales Magazine, a monthly publication since 1949 included with membership, and a classifieds section for advertising opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RepFinder®: Online directory for manufacturers to search for manufacturers' representatives
• LineFinder®
• SubRepFinder®
• A League of Their Own (ALOTO)
• Agency Sales Magazine
• MANAchat

Quantifiable outcome

• Agencies representing over 100 industries participate in MANA's ecosystem
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• IUCAB (International Union of Commercial Agents and Brokers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMANA occupies a seat on the IUCAB board. IUCAB, founded in 1949, consists of 21 National Associations throughout Europe, North, and South America. MANA participates in IUCAB's legal working group on commission protection and conducts worldwide trade missions through this partnership.
• NEMRA (National Electrical Manufacturers Representatives Association)coreOthersMANA recommends dual association membership with industry-specific associations. NEMRA is one of the largest and focuses on electrical industry reps. NEMRA provides industry-specific advocacy, networking, and education that complements MANA's horizontal approach.
• ERA (Electronics Representatives Association)coreOthersMANA recommends ERA members also join MANA for broad professional development, and vice versa. ERA focuses on electronics industry-specific issues.
• AIM/R (Association of Independent Manufacturers'/Representatives, Inc.)minorOthersOne of MANA's recommended industry-specific associations for dual membership.
• MAC (Manufacturers' Agents of Cincinnati)minorOthersMAC was a former MANA chapter that now operates independently as a regional rep association serving the Cincinnati area. MANA maintains collaborative relationships with MAC, including joint events.
• MRERF (Management Training and Certification for Manufacturers and their Sales Representatives)minorOthersMANA collaborates with MRERF, which provides management training and certification specifically designed for manufacturers and their sales representatives.
• A League of Their Own (ALOTO)minorOthersALOTO is a MANA Special Interest Group for women manufacturers' representatives. MANA publicizes ALOTO events and encourages women reps to organize grassroots events. ALOTO organizes local events, North American group discussions, mentoring, and education events for women in the rep profession.
• Harvard Business School Rock Center for EntrepreneurshipflagshipOthersMANA was invited to present at Harvard Business School's Rock Center. Charles Cohon led a discussion on outsourcing sales and the value of face-to-face selling in the digital age. This engagement established MANA as a thought leader in the rep profession.
• Additional Industry Associations (HIRA, IHRA, ISA, MAFSI, NMRA, PTRA, EFC-CEMRA, HDMRC)minorOthersMANA recommends dual membership with industry-specific associations: Health Industry Representatives Association (HIRA), International Housewares Representatives Association (IHRA), Industrial Supply Association (ISA), Manufacturers' Agents Association for the Food Service Industry (MAFSI), National Marine Representatives Association (NMRA), Power-Motion Technology Representatives Association (PTRA), Electro-Federation Canada – CEMRA, and Heavy Duty Manufacturers' Representatives Council (HDMRC).

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• National Electrical Manufacturers Representatives Association (NEMRA): Industry-specific rep trade association serving the electrical industry. Directly comparable as a parallel membership organization for independent manufacturers' reps; MANA explicitly recommends dual membership, making NEMRA both partner and direct horizontal-vs-vertical peer.
• Association of Independent Manufacturers'/Representatives (AIM/R): Industry-specific association for independent reps. Functions as a vertical-focused peer to MANA's horizontal scope, with overlapping services around rep-manufacturer education, advocacy, and networking.
• Health Industry Representatives Association (HIRA): Rep trade association serving healthcare vertical. Directly comparable membership-based organization serving independent reps and manufacturers in a specific industry, with the same advocacy-and-directory value proposition as MANA.
• Power-Motion Technology Representatives Association (PTRA): Trade association serving reps in the power-motion technology industry. Highly comparable to MANA in structure, revenue model, and value proposition, applied to a specific vertical.
• International Union of Commercial Agents and Brokers (IUCAB): Federation of 21 national commercial-agent associations globally, of which MANA is a board member. Direct peer as the umbrella organization representing the rep profession internationally; comparable in mission and dues-funded model.
• Electronics Representatives Association (ERA): Trade association for reps in the electronics industry. Directly comparable to MANA in member-funded membership model and rep-manufacturer matchmaking mission, but specialized to electronics vertical; MANA cross-recommends ERA membership.
• Manufacturers' Agents Association for the Food Service Industry (MAFSI): Industry-specific rep association for foodservice. Directly mirrors MANA's horizontal model in a narrower vertical, with parallel membership directory, advocacy, and education services.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Largest broad business association in the U.S. Comparable to MANA as a membership-funded trade association with advocacy and member-services focus, but vastly larger scope covering all industries rather than the rep profession specifically.
• American Society of Association Executives (ASAE): Umbrella association for association professionals across all industries. Comparable to MANA in dues-funded nonprofit association model, but serves associations themselves rather than reps — a broad-incumbent peer in the trade-association ecosystem.

Emerging players

• GCS Rep (GCSrep.com): For-profit digital rep-matching and certification platform referenced as "award-winning" on MANA's own site. Represents the emerging tech-enabled competitor category that challenges MANA's directory-based model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MANA_Online

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mana Manufacturers' Agents National Association