Simplifying Global Wholesale Through Verified Connections

GWS Connect wasn't started in a garage — it was started in a warehouse, a buying office, and a store floor, across four decades of sourcing and retail.

Our founders, Kevin Holmes and Howard Kiel, first crossed paths at Foot Locker in the 1980s. Howard was based in Singapore running global sourcing for Woolworth Overseas — buying apparel and accessories for Foot Locker operations in Germany, the USA, Canada, and Australia. Kevin was building retail operations on the other side of the supply chain, managing stores and eventually rising to VP of Business Operations at Bata Group, where he ran 300+ locations including Athlete's World, Nike Shops, Bata, and factory outlets.

The supply-chain world moved on. Kevin founded Kenmarr Solutions (web software) and HB Sport Management, delivering ecommerce platforms to 30+ sports clubs. Howard built KIFL Corp and ran sourcing programs across Singapore, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and China — the relationships he still leverages every time a new supplier joins our platform.

They incorporated Global Wholesale Sources Inc. to solve the problem they kept seeing from both sides: serious buyers struggled to find serious sellers. Open marketplaces were full of noise, and off-platform deals moved on handshakes and trust that younger entrants couldn't access. GWS is that trust, made accessible — every supplier vetted by Howard, every transaction protected by Kevin's operational playbook, backed by payment escrow and logistics infrastructure.

85+ years of combined experience, one marketplace, and relationships that reach every major sourcing hub in Asia.