This one seems to work for me in VM 3.6.2
<?php
$app = JFactory::getApplication();
$virtuemart_manufacturer_id = $app->input->getCmd('virtuemart_manufacturer_id', '');
echo $virtuemart_manufacturer_id ;
if (empty($this->keyword)) {
echo $this->category->category_description ;
//check to see if category is manufacturer --> this below is added
$jinput = JFactory::getApplication()->input;
$trigger= $virtuemart_manufacturer_id;
$mid = $trigger;
if (!empty($mid)) {
$lang=&JFactory::getLanguage();
$dba=JFactory::getDBO();
$dba->setQuery("SELECT * FROM #__virtuemart_manufacturers_".str_replace("-","_",strtolower($lang->getTag()))." WHERE ".$trigger."=".$mid.";");
$dba->query();
$muresult=$dba->loadAssoc();
$dbb = JFactory::getDBO();
$dbb->setQuery("SELECT virtuemart_media_id FROM #__virtuemart_manufacturer_medias WHERE virtuemart_manufacturer_id=".$mid.";");
$dbb->query();
$media_id = $dbb->loadResult();
$dbc = JFactory::getDBO();
$dbc->setQuery("SELECT file_url FROM #__virtuemart_medias WHERE virtuemart_media_id=".$media_id.";");
$dbc->query();
$file_url = $dbc->loadResult();
}
}
if (!empty($file_url)) {
?>
<img src="<? echo $file_url ?>" alt="<? echo $this->category->category_name ?>" align="right" style="margin:0 25px 0 25px">
<?php
}
echo $file_url;
echo "<h1>";
echo $this->category->category_name;
echo "</h1>";
if(!empty($muresult['mf_desc'])) {
echo $muresult['mf_desc'];
}
?>