Like the industry it serves, the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors is undergoing a powerful transformation as an organization. MDM’s Tom Gale and IRCG’s Mike Marks debrief on their takeaways from an energizing program of content, networking and sharing of ideas on innovation, transformation and much more.

As a primer to MDM’s Feb. 22-23 Virtual M&A Summit, we chat with MSC Industrial Supply President & CEO Erik Gershwind and Business & Commercial Development leader Jim Drohan about the company’s M&A strategy, which has moved aggressively in the past 2 years.

Private label market share traditionally increases in a downturn. James Dorn of Dorn Group sees a perfect storm brewing as softening inflation and supply chain pressures add some tailwinds to that equation. But brands are not going away. Our conversation reviews strategic options for large and small distributors to consider, as well as brand manufacturers. 

Ahead of NAW’s Jan. 31-Feb. 2 Executive Summit in Washington D.C., CEO Eric Hoplin stopped by to discuss how distributors are handling the labor market, economic headwinds, supply chain conditions and more.

If you’ve ever attended a Mike Marks presentation, odds are he referenced one of the most influential thinkers on management in the 20th century. For good reason. In this Quicktake conversation, Marks shares thoughts on time spent with Peter Drucker as his graduate student, insights that fueled his consulting career, and what advice Drucker might have for distributors today.

In our first MDM Podcast of the year, Tom Gale chats with author and Day1Ready Founder Jennifer Fondrevey on who must be involved in the M&A communication process and when, along with other intangibles.

What’s out? Doom-scrolling. What’s in? Distribution industry executives will make more data-informed decisions supported by stronger technology and analytics. In our first Quicktake podcast conversation of the year, IRCG’s Mike Marks and MDM’s Tom Gale look at the opportunities for distributors to take what the business cycle and competitors provide in the year ahead.

Leaders from Vallen Distribution, Stanley Black & Decker, LineDrive and Ace Hardware share their insights captured during interviews at ISA’s Women in Industry Summit, which was part of ISA’s Fall Summit held Nov. 30-Dec. 2 in Orlando. They discuss what’s best left behind in 2022 and where the industry is moving in 2023.

Spreading resources too thin in a downcycle is a common trap. In a discussion on threats, themes and strategic planning for 2023, James Dorn of the Dorn Group and MDM’s Tom Gale discuss thinking beyond rebates, the rise of customer self-serve, the power of segment focus and pain relief, and a call to rewrite the operating manual for distributor-supplier relationships and value creation.

Kathleen Shanahan stops by to discuss her unique path to becoming Turtle & Hughes’ CEO; the electrical distributor’s emphasis on diversity in both its workforce and supplier base; and how investment in sustainable energy storage has positioned the company for continued success in the age of electrification.

Predicting the future is folly, but market transitions are where competitive advantage is won. No, that’s not some famous saying, but the fine line Indian River’s Mike Marks and MDM’s Tom Gale tread in this conversation. How will distributors outperform market conditions and competitors? What will change the industry?

Net Results Group Managing Partner Lance Gilbert discusses the state of indirect spend at large facilities from his team’s expertise in the analytics, technology and process improvement for MRO inventories, usage and purchasing behaviors. We explore the current supply chain challenges and opportunities for distributors to help customers “right-size” their inventory.

James Dorn of the Dorn Group joins MDM’s Tom Gale to discuss ‘shoring’ opportunities and strategic implications for distributors. We’re moving from digital defining seamless service to a broader supply-chain transformation that mitigates risk for customers by creating better transparency and deeper engagement.

President & CEO John Mark discusses BlackHawk’s go-to-market strategy, how it differentiates in the markets it serves and its continued aggressive growth strategy. We also discuss the importance of culture and leadership challenges today.

Disruptive market conditions breed opportunity. In this episode, IRCG’s Mike Marks and MDM’s Tom Gale look past the horizon at the larger macrotrends shaping growth opportunities for distributors over the next several years – electrification, infrastructure, energy transition, sustainability and demographic shifts.

The content at PTDA’s Annual Summit in late October went heavy on recruiting and retaining best practices. Editor Mike Hockett chatted with association CEO Ann Arnott to discuss key takeaways from the event, which included the non-traditional methods distributors can leverage to find and keep needed staff in a time when labor is hard to come by.

When markets soften, surprises tend to be of the negative variety. But downturns can also open up opportunities to strengthen key supplier partnerships. MDM’s Tom Gale and IRCG’s Mike Marks talk about the key performance indicators in supplier relationships that can be either early warning signals or telltales for competitive opportunity across inventory and cash management, backlogs, support and strategic alignment.

Decades before digital transformation became an imperative, Jay Platt, CEO of Blue Volt and former CEO of Platt Electric, was on a mission to improve how his customers, team members and vendors could access information – whether for training, customer support or building a stronger company culture. He’s still at it.

Beyond tried and true strategies for managing the back side of economic downturns, MDM’s Tom Gale and IRCG’s Mike Marks look at unique and deeper factors the current market outlook is triggering for distributors – inventory exposure and opportunity, scenario planning, resetting sales costs and the underlying longer-term positive trends where near-term opportunity may also exist.

The Crescent Electric Supply leader tells us how employee engagement has kept the distributor pointed at its customer-based north star.