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Economic Trends

MDM Forecast: July Update

Our latest update shows a fifth straight considerable upward revision to the broader industry's 2026 forecast, driven again by oil & gas and data center-fed electrical & electronics. Get your much more valuable sector-specific revenue forecasts here.
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ECONOMIC OUTLOOK REPORTS

NAW 3Q26 Forecast Report

This comprehensive NAW 3Q26 Forecast is a guide to the U.S. wholesale distribution economy, providing a historical, current and future snapshot of numerous key economic indicators in one convenient place along with our exclusive sector-specific forecasts for 19 different product categories. Its economic indicator data is updated through July 17.

MDM 2Q26 Forecast Report

This comprehensive MDM 2Q26 Forecast is a guide to the U.S. wholesale distribution economy, providing a historical, current and future snapshot of numerous key economic indicators in one convenient place along with our exclusive sector-specific forecasts for 19 different product categories. Its economic indicator data is updated through May 15.
Archives

Premium Monthly

MDM May 2026 Premium Monthly

Our May issue is packed with articles that cover the margin pressure gap between large and small distributors; a deep dive into Grainger’s impressive 1Q; parts 2 and 3 of Tom Gale’s data analytics series; updates on DNOW’s MRC Global integration and ERP headaches; our monthly MDM Forecast and M&A Roundup; a Wiring products Market Profile; and more.
Archives

Market Insight Reports

MDM 1Q26 M&A Report

See our breakdown of M&A activity by product category, the latest EBITDA trading multiples for 27 publicly traded industrial distributors; our latest Premium articles, which take deep dives into the M&A strategies of two prominent companies; and our detailed recap of dealmaking activity during January-March, which was the busiest three-month stretch since May-July 2024.

MDM 1Q26 MarketPulse Report

MDM’s 1Q26 MarketPulse Report consists of the quarterly results, analysis and commentary from the latest Baird-MDM Industrial Distribution Survey — conducted early April — that explored revenue performance, pricing and business expectations for the current quarter and rest-of-year. It includes a wealth of market-specific data and commentary from survey respondents.
Archives

Case Studies

MDM Case Study: Stellar Industrial Supply

This MDM Case Study examines how Stellar Industrial Supply built a differentiated growth model around documented customer savings, service-first selling and digital execution — turning measurable value creation into a durable platform for customer loyalty, expansion and operational excellence.

MDM Case Study: Singer Industrial

How has Singer Industrial grown into a 55-plus-company platform while preserving local leadership and culture? This MDM Case Study explores the industrial rubber, fluid power and automation distributor’s coordinated autonomy model, acquisition strategy and technology investments that are helping drive scale, efficiency and long-term growth.
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Premium Events
Premium Articles
This category can only be viewed by members. To view this category, sign up by purchasing MDM Premium Subscription (monthly) or MDM Premium Subscription (annual).
Digital Commerce
Grainger’s 30-Year Digital Head Start Is Still Compounding
Grainger’s eCommerce story started 30 years ago with the early move from catalog to web. Today, that head start has become a digital operating system spanning High-Touch Solutions, Endless Assortment, product data, AI and fulfillment scale. This third and final part of our Grainger deep dive explores the timeline and strategic levers Grainger has pulled to achieve its best-in-class digital offering.
This category can only be viewed by members. To view this category, sign up by purchasing MDM Premium Subscription (monthly) or MDM Premium Subscription (annual).
Digital Commerce
Grainger’s 30-Year Digital Head Start Is Still Compounding
Grainger’s eCommerce story started 30 years ago with the early move from catalog to web. Today, that head start has become a digital operating system spanning High-Touch Solutions, Endless Assortment, product data, AI and fulfillment scale. This third and final part of our Grainger deep dive explores the timeline and strategic levers Grainger has pulled to achieve its best-in-class digital offering.
Grainger
Strategy
Grainger’s High-Touch Advantage: How the MRO Leader Turned Customer Problems into a Growth Engine
Grainger’s largest business is no longer just about supplying MRO products. Its High-Touch model is built around helping customers reduce procurement friction, inventory waste, labor strain and operational complexity. We explore that business unit in the first of a three-part deep dive series into the company that has long dominated MDM's Top Distributors Lists.
Screenshot 2026-05-11 at 11.37.34 AM
Expert Perspective
Graybar’s Mazzarella on AI, Advocacy and Distribution’s Human Advantage
Graybar Chairman, President and CEO Kathy Mazzarella — who also serves as NAW’s Chairman — recently joined NAW’s Distributors Deliver Podcast to discuss AI adoption, advocacy, organizational agility and leadership. The conversation offers distributors a roadmap for navigating disruption while preserving the human relationships that define the industry. Here’s our key takeaways and analysis.
This category can only be viewed by members. To view this category, sign up by purchasing MDM Premium Subscription (monthly) or MDM Premium Subscription (annual).
Digital Commerce
Grainger’s 30-Year Digital Head Start Is Still Compounding
Grainger’s eCommerce story started 30 years ago with the early move from catalog to web. Today, that head start has become a digital operating system spanning High-Touch Solutions, Endless Assortment, product data, AI and fulfillment scale. This third and final part of our Grainger deep dive explores the timeline and strategic levers Grainger has pulled to achieve its best-in-class digital offering.
Grainger
Strategy
Grainger’s High-Touch Advantage: How the MRO Leader Turned Customer Problems into a Growth Engine
Grainger’s largest business is no longer just about supplying MRO products. Its High-Touch model is built around helping customers reduce procurement friction, inventory waste, labor strain and operational complexity. We explore that business unit in the first of a three-part deep dive series into the company that has long dominated MDM's Top Distributors Lists.
Screenshot 2026-05-11 at 11.37.34 AM
Expert Perspective
Graybar’s Mazzarella on AI, Advocacy and Distribution’s Human Advantage
Graybar Chairman, President and CEO Kathy Mazzarella — who also serves as NAW’s Chairman — recently joined NAW’s Distributors Deliver Podcast to discuss AI adoption, advocacy, organizational agility and leadership. The conversation offers distributors a roadmap for navigating disruption while preserving the human relationships that define the industry. Here’s our key takeaways and analysis.
Featured Content

Executive Summary: Thriving Through Change: How Distributors Build Workforce Resilience in a Disrupted Supply Chain

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AI Readiness in Distribution: How to Unlock Value from the Systems You Already Own

Artificial intelligence has moved quickly from an interesting possibility to operating near-requirement across wholesale…

Before You Automate: Why Lead Time Accuracy Is the Foundation of Smarter Purchasing

Lead time accuracy has become one of the most critical and overlooked challenges facing…

In Pursuit of Value: Where 400+ Distributors are Investing in AI Today

Nearly every distributor is investing in AI. The question has shifted from “What can…
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