Sonepar's purchase of IDG captured the attention of many in wholesale distribution, in part because it placed an end mark on a 20-year timeline of industry trends, challenges and shifts – all rolled into one deal.

Beyond a deep analysis of the Sonepar-IDG deal, MDM readers were captivated in the year's final quarter by Lawson Products' resurgence and the ever-popular topic of making money with small customers.

Here are the top three articles on mdm.com from the fourth quarter 2014:

1. Commentary: IDG’s Journey to Sonepar– Sonepar's acquisition of Industrial Distribution Group created quite a stir in distribution at the end of September. For this story, Publisher Tom Gale and Editor Jenel Stelton-Holtmeier take a closer look at the acquisition, its place in the current and recent M&A landscape, and what it represents for distributor acquisitions going forward.

2. MDM Interview: Lawson Products’ Revitalization– For the last several years, Lawson Products has been focused on turning its sales trajectory back to the positive through streamlining the organization and focusing on the “legacy” that launched the company. President and CEO Michael DeCata discusses the initiatives being undertaken by the distributor and the results of those efforts.

3. Making Money with Small Customers: Defeating the Profit Drag – While small customers present significant challenges for many distributors, implementing changes to how they are served can eliminate the profit drag created by them. This article from David S. Bauders examines the challenges and provides practical steps for mitigating the profit challenge of small customers. This article is also part of a larger special report, Making Money with Small Customers, that can be accessed here.

Just log-in to read these articles. Not a subscriber? Subscribe now for full access.