Report: Adopting new capabilities will be key differentiator for industrial companies
Eric Smith
Senior Editor Eric Smith is an award-winning business journalist whose coverage focus includes economic news and insights, industry trends, M&A, and analysis of small businesses and public companies across the wholesale distribution marketplace. Reach him at eric@mdm.com or 720-207-0335.
Posts By Eric Smith
U.S. enjoying solid economic growth as 2017 winds down.
PT & bearings giant expects Apache Inc. to generate $100 million in annual sales.
Latest MDM-Baird survey shows 3.9 percent revenue growth in quarter.
Robert W. Baird & Co., in partnership with Modern Distribution Management, conducted a survey of more than 400 distributors and manufacturers to gauge business trends and the outlook for the distribution industry in diverse sectors. Here is a summary of third-quarter results and distributor and manufacturer expectations for fourth-quarter 2017 and full-year 2018.
This article includes:
- Third-quarter revenue & pricing trends for wholesale distribution
- Revenue forecasts for fourth quarter & 2017
- Sector-specific trends for 19 sectors
- Inventory levels
- Economic outlook for 2018
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- Millennials in Distribution: No Magic in US LUMBERs Strategy
- Endgame Strategy: A Must for Distributors
- Graingers Pricing Initiative, pt 2: The Quest for Optimization
Tips for everything from finding the right partner to successful integration.
Talks could lead to negotiated deal or no deal at all.
As millennials compose more and more of the workforce, here are 10 tips for how distributors can better integrate the next generation into their companies, based on MDMs reporting over the last few years.
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- Millennials in Distribution: Culture Trumps Everything
- Endgame Strategy: A Must for Distributors
- Commentary: Best Practices for Recruiting Millennials
The NIBA/PTDA 2017 Joint Industry Summit, held last month in Hollywood, FL, featured three keynote speakers sharing their experiences around inspiration, motivation and leadership.
This article includes:
- Inspiration from John O’Leary
- Motivation from Molly Fletcher
- Leadership from Alan Beaulieu
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- Millennials in Distribution: Culture Trumps Everything
- Endgame Strategy: A Must for Distributors
- Commentary: Best Practices for Recruiting Millennials
Former HD Supply Waterworks quickly makes inaugural acquisition.
Beaulieu: Slowdown should begin in February, last for 18 months.
New MDM report: Industry projected to perform well as economy continues resurgence.
Industry's generational shift raises importance of knowledge transfer.
Being intentional about culture can help with recruiting and retaining millennials, who today compose nearly half the company. This article examines the decision by Durham, NC-based ACR Supply, where nearly half the company is comprised of millennials, 20 years ago to focus on culture and how it evolved into a place where the next generation wanted to work.
This article includes:
- Building culture in leadership’s image
- Seeking ‘hungry, humble, smart’ employees
- Making your workplace millennial-friendly
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- Distribution M&A Playbook, pt. 3: Integration Best Practices
- Grainger’s Pricing Initiative, pt 2: The Quest for Optimization
- Commentary: Harvey’s Stark Reminder on Disaster Planning
New CEO: Company "executing a key piece of our growth strategy."
Moderate economic growth should provide slight boost for U.S. manufacturers
Weather events to negatively impact delivery times, pricing, other metrics.
As Hurricane Harvey shuttered ports and distribution centers at the end of August (and at press time, Hurricane Irma was poised to hit Caribbean islands hard with Florida in its potential path), the deluge that inundated Houston and surrounding area served as a stark reminder that all companies would be wise to develop an emergency plan in case of disaster.
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- Distribution M&A Playbook, pt. 2: The 8 Fatal Flaws in M&A
- Top Trends for 2017
- MDM Interview: Watsco Aims for ‘Bigger, Better, Faster’
Top building materials & construction distributors also acquire growth.
