Perspective Archives

MDM Podcast: Breaking Down QXO’s Beacon Acquisition and its Impact

QXO and Beacon frequented MDM's headlines during the first five months of 2025, culminating with QXO's $11 billion purchase of the distributor. With the landmark deal now completed, Craig Webb and Mike Hockett analyze how it happened and what it means for the building materials sector as just the first big move in QXO’s ambitious, acquisitive growth strategy.

May 14, 2025

Leadership

How to Succeed as a Woman in Distribution: Advice from Top Industry Leaders

If you’ve ever wanted to ask: “How do I do it, too?” MDM’s 2025 Women in Distribution share their best advice and words of encouragement for women pursuing a career in distribution.

April 25, 2025

Sales Compensation

MDM Podcast: Unlocking the Secrets of Sales Compensation

SHIFT 2025 speaker Donya Rose joins to discuss the intricacies of sales compensation plans, particularly in the B2B sector. We tackle the evolution of sales compensation, recent trends, common challenges and the questions that companies are pursuing solutions for.

April 16, 2025

Leadership

MDM Podcast: Be the Steve Irwin of Distribution and Rethink Team Dynamics

Contrary to popular belief, culture isn't a soft skill. It's a competitive advantage, says executive leadership consultant Darcy Blessing-Williams, who is set to speak at MDM's SHIFT conference in May. She joins the podcast to discuss a zookeeper framework geared for understanding and fostering team behavior.

April 7, 2025

Sales & Marketing

MDM Podcast: Why Tech Fails Salespeople & How to Leverage it

Former Wesco leader Ben Albu shares why so many sales tools end up in the "technology graveyard" in this preview to his SHIFT Conference session on leveraging sales technology for success.

April 1, 2025

Tariffs

MDM Amplify Podcast: How to Navigate the Tariff Paradigm

This new podcast series debuts with an episode sponsored by Grant Thornton, which provides a trio of specialists to discuss the rapidly changing tariff environment and the strategic moves distributors and transportation providers can make to best position themselves for whatever comes next.

March 27, 2025

Perspective

MDM Podcast: Imperatives Amid Evolving Go-to-Market Strategies

Ahead of speaking at MDM's May SHIFT conference, Redwood Advisors' John Nantz stops by for a conversation with Tom Gale about significant industry changes driven by market forces, technology advancements and changing customer expectations. Nantz outlines five key imperatives that high-performing distributors are using to stay competitive and differentiate themselves.

March 25, 2025

Human Resources in Wholesale Distribution

MDM Podcast: The Expectations and Priorities of Today’s Young Talent

We chat with talent recruitment and retention guru Dr. Bharani Nagarathnam — who leads Texas A&M's Master of Industrial Distribution program — about a range of talent topics and to preview his culture-focused roundtable discussions at our May SHIFT conference.

March 19, 2025

MDM Podcast: An AI Research Primer Ahead of SHIFT

Kevin Reid-Morris has led much of MDM's AI research over the past few years, and he's set to share the results of a major two-year project at our May SHIFT conference. He and Tom Gale discuss the transformative impact of AI in distribution and that project which identified over 50 practical AI use cases.

March 12, 2025

Leadership

MDM Podcast: How an Industrial Distributor Grows From its Roots

From Wall Street to the warehouse — twice. A&M Industrial's leadership team shares their parallel journeys back to their (now third generation) family-owned distribution business. Hear how innovation, value-added sales and market expansion are built on the foundation of deep company values that forged its reputation in industrial distribution on this episode of the MDM Podcast.

February 26, 2025

Perspective

MDM Podcast: Voices of NAW’s 2025 Executive Summit

At NAW's marquee annual event, we had mini-interviews with 10 different executive attendees about their company's biggest initiatives in 2025; the industry's top challenges and reasons for optimism; and what they get out of the event.

February 5, 2025

Perspective

MDM Podcast: PT/MC Market Evolution and Product Information Sharing

Two longtime power transmission/motion control industry veterans, Brian Short and Bill Shepard, join to discuss career retrospection, what’s changed in the market, thoughts on AI and the role of product information sharing, including how two leading associations are driving it forward.

January 29, 2025

Perspective

MDM Podcast: Debriefing Our Ferguson & Watsco Case Studies

Our MDM Case Study series rolled out reports on Ferguson and Watsco down the stretch of 2024, with more to come in 2025. Here, the author of those case studies joins to share his key takeaways from researching those two companies and a preview of his next deep dive on MSC Industrial Supply.

January 15, 2025

MDM Blog

Whether you’re a fan or new to the MDM Podcast, discover the episodes that made waves this year with distributor interviews and insights.

December 26, 2024

Perspective

MDM Podcast: How Distribution Solutions Group Arrived, and Where it’s Going

With the dust settled on the merger of Lawson Products, TestEquity and GexPro Services to form Distribution Solutions Group, we explore the rationale for the transaction and path forward with a DSG board member who helped spearhead the combination.

November 20, 2024

Perspective

MDM Podcast: A Career Retrospective with Mike DeCata

The former Lawson Products leader joins to discuss what he misses most about day-to-day CEO life (and what he doesn’t); the industry’s biggest changes; what he’s most proud of; and what he’s keeping an eye on.

November 13, 2024

Perspective

A Tribute to an Industry Titan: Skip DeVilling

Tom Gale pays homage to a passionate communicator, mentor and coach, presenting insights from some who knew Skip best.

November 5, 2024

Technology

Takeaways from 2024 NAW’s Innovators Summit

The third annual event delivered insights, collaboration and plenty of networking about what’s possible in distribution innovation, with a heavy emphasis on technology levers.

October 15, 2024

Perspective

Designing a Distribution Network: Advantages and Potential Issues

Despite the advantages of designing distribution networks, businesses often require assistance in creating and executing a network. This piece provides a guide.

September 27, 2024

Perspective

MDM’s Tom Gale on AI’s Growing Role in Distribution

The recent DCKAP Round-Up event featured MDM's Tom Gale, who spoke of the growing impact AI has in reshaping business models for distributors. Here are some key takeaways.