Featured Blog Archives

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

AI that Makes Sales More Human

AI can make room for the human connection that actually wins business. Read how artificial intelligence in distribution can reengineer highly manual processes into ones that are faster, more accurate, and yes, more human.

February 11, 2026

MDM Blog

MDM’s January Premium Monthly Issue Now Available

January's issue contains articles that cover how to manage inventory like a retirement portfolio; our research on data center market opportunities and distributors' 2026 tech investment plans; MSC Industrial's new chapter marked by sales efficiency; analysis of Fastenal's financials; a market profile on packaging supplies; and more.

February 11, 2026

Building Materials/Construction

QXO to Buy Kodiak Building Partners for $2.25B

Kodiak Building Partners to join legacy Beacon as the next major building materials distributor to make up QXO. See details of the acquisition, expected to close in the second quarter of 2026.

February 11, 2026

Pricing

The Hidden Margin of SPAs, and their Strategic Advantage

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February 10, 2026

Quarterly MDM-Baird Distribution Survey

Research: Distributors Rate their Top Workforce Challenges

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February 9, 2026

Legal & Regulatory Issues

District Court Grants NAW Preliminary Injunction to Halt Oregon’s EPR Law

The ruling prevents Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality from enforcing the Act against NAW Members until the court rules on the merits.

February 6, 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

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

Research

MDM’s 4Q25 MarketPulse Report is Here, Reflecting Revenue Performance, Pricing & Expectations

Our latest MarketPulse Report shares a wealth of data and analysis from the 4Q25 Baird-MDM Industrial Distribution Survey - conducted Jan. 5-12 - that covered respondents' revenue performance, pricing updates and business expectations for 1Q26 and the rest of the year, plus plenty of market-specific commentary.

January 28, 2026

Leadership

Nominations for MDM’s 2026 Women in Distribution are Now Open — Submit by Feb. 25

Help us recognize some deserving women in the distribution industry by nominating them using the form linked here.

January 27, 2026

Inventory Management

Keys to Actively Manage Your Inventory Portfolio for Financial Yield

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January 26, 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

Economic Trends

Now Available: MDM’s 1Q26 Forecast Report

This comprehensive MDM 1Q26 Forecast Report is a guide to the U.S. wholesale distribution economy, providing a historical, current and future snapshot of numerous key economic indicators in one convenient place along with our exclusive sector-specific forecasts for 19 different product categories.

January 19, 2026

Emerging Markets

Distributors Bet on Data Center Wave, Position for Long-Term Market Growth

This category can only be viewed by members. To view this category, sign up by purchasing MDM Premium Subscription (monthly) or MDM Premium Subscription (annual).

January 16, 2026

Featured Blog

The Silent Cap on Growth: Why B2B Tech Stacks Stop Scaling

MDM's latest whitepaper — in partnership with OroCommerce — provides practical case study examples to show what technology debt looks like in practice and how distributors can unify and consolidate the tools they need to get their commerce foundation under control. Get the synopsis here.

January 15, 2026

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