Feedback

Subscriber Login

MDM Premium Content  What's this?
Close
Subscribe today to access MDM's premium content with two issues a month of timely and to-the-point content for the busy wholesale distribution executive. Here's what you get:
  • Analysis of distribution trends
  • Interviews with industry leaders
  • Quarterly Public Distributor Report
  • Quarterly Inflation by Commodity Group Report
  • Market and economic data analysis
  • Access to the best online research tool in distribution

And much more! Learn more

login close
Forgot Your Password?
For more precise results try using quotation marks ("") around your search terms. See more search tips.
subscribe_yellow Lock in savings now before June 1 rate increase!
renew_blue


 

Home » Commentary: Scenarios for Growth in 2010

Commentary: Scenarios for Growth in 2010

This year will be defined by how well you can protect and take market share from your competitors.

By    Thomas P.  Gale 
February 10, 2010
Eight years ago, we were in the thick of the last industrial recession. Most distributors enjoyed a good run during the last half of the 1990s; sales were strong. Then the bottom fell out, and the channel compressed.
 
Distributors focused on profitability survived and were well-positioned for the several years of strong growth. It’s interesting to note that many economists (as well as General Electric’s CEO at the time, Jeffrey Immelt) predicted a long-term low- or even no-growth environment in 2002. And then most distributors enjoyed the best stretch of growth in their history.
Text Size
Email Print Reprints
Eight years ago, we were in the thick of the last industrial recession. Most distributors enjoyed a good run during the last half of the 1990s; sales were strong. Then the bottom fell out, and the channel compressed.
 
Distributors focused on profitability survived and were well-positioned for the several years of strong growth. It’s interesting to note that many economists (as well as General Electric’s CEO at the time, Jeffrey Immelt) predicted a long-term low- or even no-growth environment in 2002. And then most distributors enjoyed the best stretch of growth in their history.
 
You can pretend to know so much about your customers, competitors, suppliers and the economy that you build a plan based on what has happened in the past. Another option is to admit just how much uncertainty there is, and then find the best way to manage unpredictability and to gain an edge on your competitors.
 
This year will be defined by how well you can protect and take market share from your competitors. You have to think differently. More importantly, you have to get your team thinking differently.
 
As a starting point you might assign this article as required reading at the Knowledge@Wharton Web site: “Eyes Wide Open: Embracing Uncertainty through Scenario Planning.” This article can be found here.
 
If this latest recession hasn’t made you a fan of scenario planning, I’m not sure what will. When companies have undergone such difficult adjustments, it is tough to get the team looking ahead and thinking creatively about how to rebuild. That’s where scenario planning helps. As the article states, if you can sense changes before your competitors, you can anticipate and act on emerging opportunities. 
 
The key is to get your management team thinking forward and differently about what’s happening in the industry. Some distributors built that into their DNA 10 years ago. It will make your team more adaptive and capable of managing risk and opportunity.
 
On a not completely unrelated note, I’d like to add my welcome to Jack Keough, former editor of Industrial Distribution magazine to the MDM team as a contributing editor. His first blog appeared last week.It’s a win for the industry to continue to have the benefit of Jack’s 25 years of industry experience and insight. I am personally delighted to be working with a good friend and someone so passionate about the value this industry creates.


Print Email Reprints
Use the form below to leave a comment

MDM Digital

Executive Briefing: May 2012Critical Profit Drivers
in Distribution
Al Bates, Profit Planning Group, speaks frankly about the most important factors to driving profit. Watch now.
iPad users: click here to view.		 Economic Update April 2012 Economic Update:
Behind the Moderation
MAPI Economist Cliff Waldman discusses some of the factors behind the slowing economic recovery. Watch now.
7 Minutes With7 Minutes With ...
Bell Electrical Supply
CEO Burt Schraga discusses the importance of building a strong culture in his organization. Watch now.		 More Audio and Video Features from MDM:

  • MDM Podcast

Think About It:
Back to the Basics

We all forget the basics sometimes. Todd Youngblood shares his recent reminder of that fact.

Listen now.

Learn more or subscribe to the Think About It podcast.

  • Featured

USAbrasives-100-for-trifecta

U.S. Abrasives Market Demand Report

This report provides a three-dimensional view into estimated market size, customer segment potential and customer size demographics for the U.S. Abrasives Market.

These three data slices give you deep insight into total market potential and your market share by both customer type and size for the U.S. and all 50 states.

Learn more about the U.S. Abrasives Market Demand Report

Training Resources

Current Issue   Inventory Management   MDM_Special_Report_ecommerce   Benchmarks and Best Practices

Featured Article: What AmazonSupply.com Means for Independent Distributors

$34.95

Buy now >>

Inventory Management Best Practices with Jon Schreibfeder: DVD + Book

$119.00

Buy now >>

The State of E-Commerce and Catalogs in Distribution

$44.95

Buy now >>

Benchmarks & Best Practices: The Answer Book for Growth-Minded CFOs & Controllers

$249.00

Buy now >>
Job Board
Title Company Location
Digital Strategy Manager Border States Electric Fargo North Dakota
Risk Manager Border States Electric Fargo ND
Purchasing Manager PCA SKIN Scottsdale, AZ
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Graybar Electric Company Denver, CO
INDUSTRIAL OUTSIDE SALES REPRESENTATIVE Graybar Electric Company Phoenix, AZ
General Manager Applied Industrial Technologies Norfolk, VA
Rubber Specialist Applied Industrial Technologies Baltimore, MD
View ALL Wholesale Distribution Job Listings

Industry Topics

Distribution Trends RSS

Economic Trends RSS

Distribution Management & Strategy RSS

Distribution Interviews RSS

Distribution Operations Strategy RSS

Distribution Technology RSS

Distribution & Manufacturing Acquisitions RSS

Distribution Case Studies RSS

Distribution Sales & Marketing RSS

MDM Premium

May 10, 2012  

MDM May 10, 2012, Cover Image

Amazon Makes Its Move

Uncover Unexpected Cross-Selling Opportunities

10 Ways to Measure the Success of Channel Partnerships

subscribe now View Table of Contents >>
Subscribers: Log-in
View Previous Issues


MDM Calendar

Strategic Planning for Distributors

June 7, 2012 - June 7, 2012

Featured Products

answer book for CFOs and Controllers

Benchmarks & Best Practices: The Answer Book for Growth-Minded CFOs & Controllers

Reviews (0)
 
Price: $249.00
An ultra practical idea-guide that gives an inside look at how leading companies are dealing with some of today's toughest financial and business management challenges.
Distribution Landscape Report - 2011

2011 MDM Market Leaders and Distribution Landscape Report

Reviews (0)
 
Price: $295.00
The ideal resource for anyone that wants to get a quick overview of the distribution landscape and the top players in major sectors! Includes the 2011 Distribution M&A Special Report.
B-to-B Online Marketing Toolkit Cover

The B-to-B Online Marketing Toolkit:
A Step-by-Step Plan for Distributors and Manufacturers to Leverage Online Marketing for Bottom Line Results

Reviews (0)
 
Price: $249.00
The 2011 Edition of this valuable marketing tool provides a step-by-step plan for leveraging Online Marketing to produce Bottom-Line Results. Bulk pricing available.


tech directory: start your search here

 

Top10_MDMcallout
GetMyFreeReport


Sponsored Links