Mike Hockett, Author at Modern Distribution Management

Wesco Sues Eckart Supply for Alleged Poaching, Trade Secret Theft

Wesco has filed a federal lawsuit against fellow distributor Eckart Supply and six former employees, alleging a coordinated effort to poach more than 30 workers, divert customers and misappropriate trade secrets to build a competing Georgia operation. Get all the key details and context here.

February 13, 2026

Staffing Changes

Wajax Taps Master Group Leader as New CEO

Wajax lands an executive with 30 years of experience of Canadian and internatinoal distribution, manufacturing, retail and services, with previous stints at National Tire Distributors, Grainger and General Motors.

February 13, 2026

News

No MDM Update Newsletter Monday

We're off Monday in observance of Presidents' Day in the U.S., so Update will be back in action Tuesday morning.

February 12, 2026

Economic Trends

December Metalworking Machinery Orders Set New Monthly Record

After a tariff-driven May-August slump, orders accelerated throughout the rest of 2025 and entered 2026 with underlying momentum.

February 9, 2026

MDM Blog

MDM Gets Logo Refresh as Part of NAW Brand Integration

It’s one of a few visual changes you’ll notice around the MDM website, but our mission and purpose haven’t changed. Learn more here.

February 6, 2026

Fasteners

Fastenal’s January: Top Accounts Saw Best Growth in Nearly 3 Years

That’s despite a small monthly downtick in the portion of in-market locations reporting growth, meaning Fastenal got relatively more out of its biggest customers. Get our full breakdown of the January numbers here.

February 5, 2026

Quarterly MDM-Baird Distribution Survey

Despite Tariff Turbulence, Most Distributors Haven’t Changed Where They Source — Yet

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February 5, 2026

Mergers & Acquisitions

Coordinated Autonomy: How Singer Industrial Scales While Staying Local

Singer Industrial President Pete Haberbosch joins the MDM Podcast to explain how the rubber, fluid power and automation distribution platform’s “coordinated autonomy” model balances scale with local control. This episode explores the company's decentralized operating philosophy, M&A strategy, leadership development and what the company is seeing across its industrial end markets heading into 2026.

February 4, 2026

Automotive

First Brands Founder and Brother Indicted on Fraud Charges

The news comes just a few days after the bankrupt auto parts supplier said it would wind down operations at several of its key brands.

January 30, 2026

Management

Home Depot to Cut 800 HQ Roles, Mandate 5-Day Return to Office

The cuts primarily impact remote employees.

January 30, 2026

Building Materials/Construction

White Cap to Acquire Colony Hardware in Jobsite Market Grab

White Cap is owned by PE firm CD&R, and Colony by Audax Private Equity. It will net White Cap more than 60 new locations.

January 29, 2026

Automotive

Auto Parts Supplier First Brands Winding Down Brake Parts, Cardone and Autolite Units

The bankrupt company said it has begun winding down parts of the business as part of its Chapter 11 restructuring, while continuing to operate and seek buyers for its remaining units.

January 28, 2026

Electronics

Avnet’s 2Q Sales Jump 11% on Asia, Farnell Strength

It was the sixth consecutive quarter of year-over-year sales growth in Asia for the electronic components distributor.

January 28, 2026

Power Transmission/Motion Control

Applied Acquires Former Motion Target in SoCal; Posts 2Q Results

AIT added a like distributor with about $20 million in annual revenue, while encouraging financials led to raising the lower end of the company's guidance.

January 27, 2026

Tariffs

MDM Amplify: Tariffs as a Structural Cost – Strategies for 2026 and Beyond

Tariffs are no longer episodic shocks — they are structural operating costs for transportation and distribution companies. With margins tight and sourcing uncertainty set to last, the question now is how leaders manage them profitably. In this sponsored MDM Amplify podcast, three Grant Thornton leaders cover how T&D organizations are managing tariff exposure, protecting cash flow and building flexibility under sustained pressure.

January 22, 2026

Top Distributor Sectors

Here’s Which Distributors Made Fortune’s 2026 “Most Admired” List

More than a handful of companies on MDM's Top Distributors Lists garnered the reputation-based honor from Fortune.

January 21, 2026

Economic Trends

MDM Forecast: January Update Offers Our First Look at 2027

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January 20, 2026

Fasteners

Fastenal’s Pricing Impact Expands in Q4 as Sluggish Market Conditions Continue

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January 20, 2026

Fasteners

Richelieu Hardware Acquires Trio of DCs from McKillican, Posts 2025 Results

The manufacturer/distributor made nine bolt-ons during 2025 that led to healthy annual gains in sales and EBITDA.

January 16, 2026

Expert Perspective

From Grainger to Growth Platform: E&R Industrial Charts its Independent Future

Divested from Grainger in late 2023, metalworking and industrial supplies distributor E&R Industrial is entering a new chapter marked by independence, modernization and rapid expansion. CEO Joe Stephens stops by the MDM Podcast to tell us about what the company’s next couple years might look like, as well as his broader thoughts on relationship selling, what it means to be tech-enabled and the role of vending today.

January 14, 2026

Posts By Mike Hockett

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