Our team has been on the fall conference tour. MDM’s Tom Gale and IRCG’s Mike Marks compare notes from conversations at Affiliated Distributors, NetPlus, ISSA, MDM’s own SHIFT event, and the latest Baird-MDM quarterly MarketPulse survey. Most distributors report double-digit growth, few signs of slowdown.

In an exclusive interview, Optimas Solutions Co-CEOs Mike Tuffy and Daniel Harms join the MDM Podcast to discuss how their elevation and newly announced roles provide additional stability to the global fasteners manufacturer and distributor.

John McKenzie joins the MDM Podcast to discuss the distributor’s new drone delivery program and Innovation Center, as well as the strategy behind its frequent acquisitions. We also dove into how Winsupply’s employee-ownership opportunity pays dividends across the organization.

MDM’s Mike Hockett chats with Bluon CEO Peter Capuciati about the company’s formation and transformation from a refrigerant R&D company to providing a new database and app to remove friction between HVAC distributors, technicians and contractors.

In this latest MDM Quicktake podcast conversation, IRCG’s Founding Partner Mike Marks and MDM’s Tom Gale examine a California lawsuit against Amazon, the trade practices at play for distributors, and the broader issues for how distributors can differentiate with stronger value propositions.

Our latest QuickTake podcast discusses how distributors’ roles go beyond reacting to threats and opportunities that many have been preoccupied with since the pandemic arrived. 

We chat with Dee Merriwether, CFO of Grainger, which took the top spot on MDM’s Top 2022 Industrial Distributors list. Our conversation covers the MRO giant’s risk mitigation, pricing strategy, how analytics have shaped its digital offerings, and much more.

Serving as President of Martin Supply and chairman of ISA, David Ruggles stops by to discuss digital initiatives from both his company and the association, as well as the progress the greater industrial distribution sector has made on that front.

Tom Gale chats with Max Meister, the CEO of Germany-based power transmission products distributor Ludwig Meister, a family-run company that took an inside-out journey to transform its operations over the past decade.

In this MDM Podcast, our analytics manager interviews ETIM North America Executive Director Mary Shaw, who provides expert insight into the current state of data standardization for manufacturers, distributors and end users. The discussion explores the benefits of standardizing product data and taking the next step into your data journey.

We all know the distribution sector is highly fragmented, but to what extent? A chat with McKinsey partners Alex Abdelnour and Kevin Sachs dives into the state of fragmentation within various markets and the factors that separate leading distributors from laggards.

Ranga Bodla, NetSuite’s head of Industrial Marketing, stops by to discuss how the role of distribution associations and buying groups has evolved over the past decade — particularly from 2020 onward — and his company’s newly-launched initiative to better support those groups with education and networking opportunities.

Mike Marks and Tom Gale explore the impact of recent landmark acquisitions and how the mission of strategic deals runs counter to that of private equity.

Ferguson’s Vice President of Sustainability discusses the plumbing, PVF and waterworks distribution giant’s bold emissions reduction goals and what it will take to reach them, as well as Ferguson’s now-completed primary listing move from the London Stock Exchange to the New York Stock Exchange and what it means for the company.

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Our latest QuickTake podcast focuses on the importance of maintaining perspective and paying attention to actions and tangible data, rather than taking broad economic downturn talk at face value.

Monique Elliott, Senior Vice President, Global Marketing, Industrial Automation for Schneider Electric, explores successful customer engagement strategies in an increasingly distracted world. Not only crafting an effective customer experience – digital and otherwise – but as importantly how to help your own team overcome the internal challenges and develop a digital-first mindset and culture.

Communication was the central topic in the latest Quicktake podcast featuring MDM’s Tom Gale and IRCG’s Mike Marks, as the two dug into what transparency really means.

VUCA, unfortunately, has become a well-known acronym among business leaders since early 2020. MDM’s Tom Gale and IRCG’s Mike Marks explore where things stand as a swath of pessimistic economic reports have fueled even more volatility, uncertainty, chaos and ambiguity.

The latest on the outlook for second half of the year for distributors, ways to manage inventory and inflation volatility, and a popcorn shortage. In this weekly review of current events and themes in distribution channels, Tom Gale & IRCG’s Mike Marks cut through the noise to share thoughts on what’s important, what’s not, and a peak around the corner on what really matters in creating value for customers.

During the recent NAHAD Convention May 14-17 in Miami Beach, MDM Editor Mike Hockett was able to sit down with NAHAD Executive Vice President Molly Mullins for an interview to discuss the key factors that went into planning this year’s event, why members like attending it and being a part of the association, as well as how those members are handling market challenges.