From around the Web today …
A commentary on the relationship between distributors and manufacturers by PVF industry veteran Robert Vick in The Wholesaler: It’s an honest rundown of perceptions on both sides of the fence looking at things like the cost of manufacturers’ going direct, the substitution of branded with non-branded product, wholesalers’ knowledge of their costs, openness to technology, and so on. He says:
"Survival for both the manufacturers and wholesalers depends on the changes we are willing to make for each other before we can make the changes we need to have a better understanding of the role each of us play in the supply chain and which direction we must take to make us the best at what we do."
Some past MDM articles on the subject:
Changing Channels, Part 1: Shifts Alter Supplier-Distributor Relationship
Changing Channels, Part 2: Conflicts Blur Line of Sight to End-User
Another piece in the Press-Enterprise, a Riverside, CA, paper, interviews the CEO of a division of U.S. Foodservice. He talks about why the company is adding employees in that region despite current conditions: "We have grown our total employee base by over 11%. Most of those are sales associates, and some are management. We realize the economic downturn we are in is not going to last, and when the economy does rebound we want to be well-positioned."
A few recent related MDM articles on preparing for the recovery:
MDM Interview: Now is the Time for Sales Discipline
How to Manage Talent for the Upswing
Protecting Your Knowledge Base