It’s budgeting season as we move through the second half of October, and it’s at this part of the calendar that I like to start asking distribution executives what initiatives they and their team are hoping to knock off by the end of the year, and what big-ticket item(s) is on deck for 2026.

Shamelessly, I strongly encourage you to make MDM Premium part of your strategic planning. 

Here’s why.

Amid the rapid rise of AI tools, we now hear all the time how AI can be a wingman for sales staff, marketing leaders, executives doing market research and much more. In that same light, you can view MDM Premium as your industry intelligence wingman to help you cut through the noise that has never been louder.

What is MDM Premium? Quite simply. It’s the best of our best content.

You can get industry news from many sources. But that’s not intelligence. A deeper understanding of the forces shaping your market goes far beyond press releases and a few economic indicators. Premium distills the key takeaways from what’s happening in the industry, what executives like you are saying, hearing and expecting, and packages it in a variety of content.

What Makes MDM Premium Different?

While our free content keeps you informed, MDM Premium gives you the full picture. Subscribers gain access to:

• Exclusive Market Research & Benchmarking Reports — Understand where your business stands and where the industry is headed. Our proprietary data and trend analysis help you identify growth opportunities and mitigate risks.
• In-Depth Articles & Strategic Insights — Go beyond headlines with expert-driven analysis on pricing strategies, technology adoption, talent management, and more — all tailored to wholesale distribution.
• Quarterly Market Forecasts & Economic Updates — Anticipate shifts in demand and supply chain dynamics with our forward-looking reports, so you can plan with confidence.
• Premium Webinars & Expert Interviews — Hear directly from industry leaders and analysts on the topics that matter most to your business.

While we put our exclusive market reports in the MDM Store for anyone to purchase, Premium subscribers get open access to them. That includes our annual Economic Outlook Report — an extensive guide to the U.S. distribution economy packed with market performance data and forecasts across 20 different product sectors. It’s in the store for $1,995, but complimentary for Premium. That alone makes it worth the annual Premium subscription fee more than twice over. 

Our 3Q25 M&A and MarketPulse Reports just launched, and Premium subscribers can grab them to stay up to date on all the latest distribution dealmaking activity, trends and EBITDA multiples alongside our findings from surveying 300+ executives about their revenue performance and outlook. Those two reports are in the MDM Store for $395 each, and publish quarterly. Combined, that’s a $3,160 value — dwarfing the $850 annual Premium fee. There’s also our award-winning MDM Case Studies that take a deep dive into distributors who have proven to outperform and out-innovate their competition, with plenty of lessons to be learned from them. 

Premium subscribers are also privy to additional discounts on other reports (like our MRO Market Trends Report and Wage & Compensation Study) and events.

All in all, the tangible dollar value our many exclusive reports totals more than $10,000 — per year. But intangibly is all the intelligence you gain from our Premium articles that deliver industry analysis, research results, perspective and thought leadership from our staff and contributing experts.

But don’t just take my word for it. Here’s what a pair of our longtime Premium readers had to say in the past week about the value they get from their subscription:

Brian Tuohey, CEO of The Collins Companies (subscriber since 2013) — “I think of MDM Premium as part of my executive toolkit. It gives me an outside-in perspective I can’t get anywhere else.”

Alex McGill, President of McGill Hose & Coupling (subscriber since 2012) — “In a fast-changing market, MDM Premium gives us much needed clarity. The analysis and benchmarking data keeps the McGill Hose leadership team informed and confident in our strategic decisions.”

In a time when you’re combating challenges from all directions — a constantly-shifting tariff landscape and resulting margin pressure; rapidly-evolving B2B buyer behaviors and customer experience standards; threats from non-traditional market forces like Amazon/eMarketplaces and distribution-hungry retailers; labor challenges and a general volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA) environment — intelligence is a competitive advantage. Let MDM Premium be your intelligence wingman and a leg up on your market.

Want to learn more and become a Premium member?

Check out our subscription options and a lot more info here. Also, make sure you’re getting our free daily Update eNewsletter.

I wish you a strong finish to 2025 and a prosperous 2026!