See our updated monthly deal counts; a year-to-date breakdown of M&A activity by product category; the latest EBITDA trading multiples for 27 publicly traded industrial distributors; our latest M&A-led Premium article; and our detailed recap of dealmaking activity during April-June, which saw decelerated but still healthy activity.
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This comprehensive NAW 3Q26 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.
If your company lacks a plan or yours is gathering dust, follow these guidelines.
Our latest MDM Case Study examines how Stellar Industrial Supply built a differentiated growth model around documented customer savings, service-first selling and digital execution — turning measurable value creation into a durable platform for customer loyalty, expansion and operational excellence. It's available now for Premium subscribers and in the MDM Store.
June's Premium content covered the keys to Grainger's business model success; AI's role in Lean Six Sigma; what 3M's "Ask 3M" AI customer tool means for distributors; City Electric Supply's new services rollout; the growing pricing power gap between large and small distributors; and our monthly MDM Forecast and M&A Roundup. Get the condensed rundown here.
You've seen our new Top Distributors Lists. Now, see which companies remained as MDM Industry Titans and which ones joined the exclusive club that recognizes companies that have been in the top 3 of one of our Top Distributors Lists for at least five consecutive years — a testament to sustained market leadership.
The role of the distribution salesperson has changed. With pricing and product availability now transparent online, sales teams can no longer win by simply taking orders. This MDM blog breaks down seven critical selling skills distributors should build now — from value-based selling and needs discovery to AI-enabled prospecting, negotiation and trust-building.
MDM’s AI Adoption Index survey closes soon. Participate anonymously to help strengthen the industry benchmark — and get early access to the resulting report and dashboard.
How has Singer Industrial grown into a 55-plus-company platform while preserving local leadership and culture? This MDM Case Study explores the industrial rubber, fluid power and automation distributor's coordinated autonomy model, acquisition strategy and technology investments that are helping drive scale, efficiency and long-term growth.
Our May issue is packed with articles that cover the margin pressure gap between large and small distributors; a deep dive into Grainger’s impressive 1Q; parts 2 and 3 of Tom Gale’s data analytics series; updates on DNOW’s MRC Global integration and ERP headaches; our monthly MDM Forecast and M&A Roundup; a Safety/PPE Market Profile; and more.
SHIFT 2026 delivered three days of candid conversations, practical insights and powerful leadership moments. Here, Mike Hockett shares what stood out most upon departing Denver.
Our April issue contains articles that complete our deep dive Stellar Industrial Supply research on the state of pricing power; why manual cost updates are bleeding margin; a Fastenal financials analysis; our monthly MDM Forecast and M&A Roundup; a Wiring products Market Profile; and more.
See our breakdown of M&A activity by product category, the latest EBITDA trading multiples for 27 publicly traded industrial distributors; our latest Premium articles, which take deep dives into the M&A strategies of two prominent companies; and our detailed recap of dealmaking activity during January-March, which was the busiest three-month stretch since May-July 2024.
This comprehensive MDM 2Q26 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.
MDM’s 1Q26 MarketPulse Report consists of the quarterly results, analysis and commentary from the latest Baird-MDM Industrial Distribution Survey — conducted early April — that explored revenue performance, pricing and business expectations for the current quarter and rest-of-year. It includes a wealth of market-specific data and commentary from survey respondents.
Our March issue is packed with articles that complete our deep dives on distributors Singer Industrial and Ludwig Meister; advice from our 2026 Women in Distribution class; an inside analysis of Grainger Show; our monthly MDM Forecast and M&A Roundup; a Cutting Tools Market Profile; and more.
Ludwig Meister shows how disciplined sequencing — not flashy tech — drives real innovation. Authored by former longtime MDM CEO and Editor Tom Gale, this case study details how the German distributor built a data-driven, AI-enabled operation by prioritizing internal processes, clean data and execution before transforming sales and customer experience.
Want your company to be considered and accurately ranked? We need its revenue info by March 31. The easiest way to submit it is via the survey linked in this blog.
The American Society of Business Publication Editors’ 2026 Azbee Awards of Excellence recognized MDM as two-time regional finalist for editorial excellence.
Our February issue is packed with articles covering special pricing agreement management; our exclusive research on workforce challenges, distributors' share of digital sales and tariff-driven sourcing adjustments; DNOW's ERP transition headaches; inside Singer Industrial's "coordinated autonomy" operating model; a Grainger financials deep dive; our February M&A roundup; a hose products market snapshot; and more.