Bob Vliestra, the commercial director of the International Procurement Agency, a Dutch company, said it was supplying groups in Kosovo, including World Vision International, with items it had bought from around the world. Blankets are coming from an Egyptian producer, plastic sheeting used for ground coverings is coming from a Dutch company, and inexpensive pots and pans from a Czech manufacturer. Reliable estimates for the size of the industry that serves the disaster and long-term relief market do not exist. With rare exceptions, all the companies selling disaster supplies are private and do not disclose their sales. He said that much of the modern industry sprang up in Europe about 25 years ago among companies focused on supplying Africa, where much relief work was then under way.
Some companies have roots in the nonprofit world.
Greg Spitzfaden, an official of Tri-Med of Britain, said that company got its start when its three founders began arranging the shipment of relief items bought with the proceeds from charity rock concerts like Live Aid and Band Aid. Later, the company branched into procurement and now has offices close to troubled regions, said Spitzfaden, who recently flew to Macedonia to visit refugee camps and work with clients, including Addis of Catholic Relief Services. Spitzfaden's office is in one of the world's more idyllic spots, Peterborough, N.H., and many of the European-based concerns have offices here so they can work closely with relief groups based in the United States. While brokers like Tri-Med will seek out anything requested by a relief group, other companies specialize. Toyota Gibraltar, in the British colony, is Toyota Motor's exclusive dealer to agencies working in relief and development worldwide.