Dirk Van Dongen was an influential leader and force who spent decades advocating for the wholesale distribution sector. MDM reached out to some of those who worked closely with him to capture his legacy.
Tom Gale
Tom Gale has been an MDM researcher and industry analyst for 30+ years on independent distribution channel trends, consolidation, technology and competitive landscape. He is a frequent speaker and moderator on these topics at company, marketing group and association meetings in North America and Europe.
Posts By Tom Gale
As they adjust to evolving customer demands, many companies are putting too much pressure (and hope) on the shoulders of their CIO and distribution technologists of all stripes to “make it so."
Significant trends are emerging across distribution channels as we close in on the halfway mark of 2024. Here’s the first in a series of snapshots on how MDM’s research and programming is tracking ways leaders are shifting their focus on transformation and innovation efforts.
Tom Gale details the life and business impact of Jonathan Byrnes — a highly-regarded author and industry consultant who died on May 7.
The market profiling software-as-a-service BI tool platform strengthens market analysis for distributors and manufacturers.
Find a wealth of data and analysis extracted from the 1Q24 Baird-MDM Industrial Distribution Survey, including trending charts and figures for revenue and expectations, plus plenty of interesting commentary.
Find a wealth of data and analysis extracted from the 4Q23 Baird-MDM Industrial Distribution Survey, including trending charts and figures for revenue and expectations, plus plenty of interesting commentary.
To be held Feb. 7 from 10:00-4:00 ET, the event connects distribution executives and AI practitioners for application how-to's and discussion.
AI is already fueling next-gen sales models, but data analytics are the foundation to better engage, sell and service customer needs. Here’s the growth roadmap MDM is exploring at our Data Analytics Summit.
Tom Gale recaps the unique industry event that connected distributors exploring disruptive tech and emerging solution providers, including insights from Grainger and Graybar's CEOs.
James Dorn summarizes Dorn Group’s latest survey results that hold some surprising insights for distributors on the pricing front.
James Dorn and Tom Gale outline ways to leverage manufacturer incentives, create strategic tiered suppliers at a product category level and capture every available dollar before year-end.
Mike Marks and Tom Gale discuss data points from the 3Q23 Baird-MDM Survey, what the front lines in distribution are saying about how 4Q is shaping and things firms can do now to outperform in 2024.
Distributors who build a learning organization empower creativity and agility, differentiating themselves in the face of challenges and nurturing growth.
Where is your team today in the skills and capabilities that will define your future growth rate and ability to out-compete effectively? Tom Gale eyes the critical next few years in B2B distribution.
Teams that pivoted faster have outperformed competitors. Tom Gale and Mike Marks discuss how to assess your team’s transformational capabilities.
With budgets and action plans already looking to next year, Tom Gale examines how to identify where your team is today across the dimensions of people, sales process, technology and data analytics.
Having discussed the shift from a gen-one to gen-two distributor, Mike Marks and Tom Gale explore the industry's larger business model transformation, and where competitive advantage is being won and lost.
Revenues generated through Amazon Business have grown by 40% and its global customer base by 20% over the past two years.
Deal activity outpaces most expectations, but valuations and market dynamics have shifted dramatically from the previous two years of a hot seller’s market environment. Here are some key themes emerging for the year ahead for buyers and sellers alike.
