Because Gem Supply's Sales Have Continued to Decline, the Jewelry

Because Gem Supply's sales have continued to decline, the jewelry manufacturer has found that the costs associated with maintaining its own five-person sales force are prohibitive. The firm's marketing director begins to look for a small company or an individual willing to perform the sales function for Gem Supply in its least productive region, the Far West. The ideal entity would carry complementary but non-competing lines. Such a firm or an individual would be classified as a .

A) rack jobber
B) manufacturers' agent
C) specialty-line wholesaler
D) desk jobber
E) commission merchant