Thus far I've tried emailing a few but I got an email back saying I was affecting their close rate.
This blows my mind. If they believe this, then do resident emails also impact their close rate?? Lead tracking is really off the mark if non-sales emails are seen as a negative rather than a normal course of business...
As far as gaining business, participating in networking activities like association events and here on MFI is a great idea. One important note: Make sure you establish consistency. There are a TON of suppliers who enter a market and are very excited and active at the beginning, only to completely disappear after a few months. So my suggestion is to set up a schedule for attending events, participating online, etc and stick to it month after month - don't let that aspect be the one that falls through the cracks as you get busy.
Good luck!