A funny thing happened on the way to a recession. Data keeps getting in the way, at least in certain markets that the mass media don’t pay a lot of attention to. Case in point: January trend data by the Power Transmission Distributors Association shows an uptick in sales for the month in the U.S. and Canada.

So while broad-based needles continue to point down, it’s important to keep the market niches, customer segments and top ten customers that define the long-term health of your business front and center in your perspective.

The MDM Survey on the Economy in this issue offers a few interesting indicators within wholesale distribution. Nearly a quarter of those who responded are planning an acquisition in the next six months. More than a third expect to have more power to increase prices in six months than today. And slightly more (23 percent) are considering adding jobs versus layoffs (20 percent).

Those answers don’t sound like bunker mentality. Rather, while nearly 80 percent of our 288 respondents are concerned or very concerned about the economy, a good percentage of you are looking at the opportunities that lie ahead and how to leverage them, rather than put a freeze on planning today and wait to see how bad a storm might develop.

Of course, we are biased that distributors have the best view of real-time economic indicators than any other sector through daily order activity and short-term demand feedback. And that those who work closely with their suppliers in turbulent times have enormous opportunity to gain market share from competitors who either lock down or have difficulty sourcing for customers because they don’t have focused vendor relationships.