
Respondents in the 1Q25 Baird-MDM Industrial Distribution Survey were divided on 2025 demand and investment outlooks, as tariff uncertainty clouds confidence and prompts cautious strategic planning. See our full breakdown of the results.
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Even without robust technology or staffing resources, you can still boost relationships by providing clarity when it’s needed most.
Fastenal’s latest sports-oriented endeavor joins several other pro teams and leagues that the distributor supports. The company gave us the details on why it made sense and what’s involved.
Exclusive to Premium and NAW members, this webcast will sort out the industrial economic picture to guide you through what matters most, including the role that tariffs will play.
More than a handful of companies on MDM’s Top Distributors Lists garnered the reputation-based honor from Fortune.
Truck equipment distributors expect 2025 sales to grow 5.3% above 2024 sales, according to exclusive NTEA survey data.
Achieving real needle-moving innovation in wholesale distribution often involves numerous obstacles. Here are four of the most common and how to overcome them.
Over 60% of MSC Industrial Supply’s sales are eCommerce-based, making it one of the leading web-driven distributors in North America. The final piece of this three-part series explores the progression of that digital business to meet changing market and customer demands.
How did 2024 stack up against other recent years? We dive into the numbers to analyze how it graded by historical context alongside GDP performance.
Of the 4Q24 Baird-MDM Industrial Distribution Survey respondents who indicated they were likely to shift their sourcing, many cited tariffs as a key factor.
Our overall 2025 industry revenue forecast narrowed from January, dragged down by a downshift for oil & gas. Nevertheless, strong growth appears in store for most verticals. See your sector-specific outlook here.
Get the latest on the standoff here, and insight onto where it might be headed.
After a challenging 2024, the metalworking and MRO supplies distributor continues to work through a critical web pricing realignment. Part 1 of this MDM Case Study article series examines what caused the issue and how MSC is progressing through this initiative that’s tied to nearly two-thirds of its revenue stream.
MDM’s marquee event this past September highlighted the importance of relationship-based sales models and omni-channel integration. Here’s our key takeaways.
We polled nearly 200 distributors about how their budgets for attending industry events has changed in the past several years. Here’s what the data told us.
The second of this three-part Premium series examines the plumbing, HVAC and industrial supplier’s exclusive brands that have been a key market accelerator.
More than half of respondents in the 2Q24 Baird-MDM Distribution Survey indicated they characterized 2Q24 as slightly or much more competitive than a year earlier.
Distributors won’t be able to pass along price increases in 2024 at nearly the rate of 2021-2023. So, the 4Q23 Baird-MDM Survey asked distributors how they see supplier pricing impacting gross margin.
Mike Hockett extracts eCommerce commentary from a panel discussion between STAFDA distributors, manufacturers and rep agents.
Technology has the power to lighten the load on a distributor’s sales team, freeing time to focus on higher-quality deals, says Gartner’s sales VP.
Mike Hockett dives into the distributor’s sponsorship of a NASCAR XFINITY Series race car, focusing on the many benefits the distributor is seeing from it.
The age-old conflict of sales vs. revenue operations doesn’t have to be a combative relationship. Mike Hockett distills takeaways from an ISA23 session on ways to make this dynamic more collaborative.
In this second of a two-part series by Redwood Advisors, learn about the final steps to optimizing an expansive sales force: mapping your accounts to the right sales channel and assigning them the right rep.
This MDM Premium piece from Redwood Advisors focuses on how your organization can develop a detailed customer segmentation methodology.
We asked distributors if their gross margin was over- or under-inflated in 2022 thanks to pricing inflation. Here’s what the data says.
Nelson Valderrama discusses how CFOs can navigate market disruptions by reimagining pricing and inventory processes.
We polled distributors about how much pricing influenced last year’s revenue numbers. See the exclusive results and commentary here.
What is loyalty marketing? Lincoln Smith explains and makes a case for using incentive loyalty programs to bolster your revenue.
The quarterly Baird-MDM industrial distribution survey gauged distributors’ confidence heading into 2023. Here’s what they had to say about pricing expectations.
Part 2 of this series covers how the metalworking and MRO supplies distributor’s Mission Critical initiative is bearing fruit by transforming the company into a more digitally capable and agile organization.
Along with its time-sensitive proposal, the building materials distribution platform went into great detail giving a rundown of talks with Beacon since they started this past summer.
We analyze the results of our early January survey that polled 350 distributors and manufacturers about their expectations of how tariffs could impact both margins and demand. Along with data, it produced plenty of commentary.
New investment bank analyst commentary suggests QXO will have to increase its current bid for Beacon to fend off alternative suitors, but others say additional offers are unlikely.
We surveyed nearly 130 family-owned distributors this past Summer to learn about their priorities and challenges. Here, we analyze the results of our polling about succession planning.
Check out this analysis of MDM survey results, which give a snapshot of how the dynamics of family-owned distribution businesses play into decision-making.
We break down 2024’s dealmaking activity by volume vs. 2023, what the most impactful transactions were, which distributors were frequent headliners and what to expect in 2025.
Through a discussion with the CIO of each company, we get into the weeds of the what, why and how behind the electrical and fastener distributors’ AI journey and the decisions that led to success with the technology.
One-size-fits-all technology has never sat well in distribution. Here, we share how a flooring distributor prioritized industry specificity when selecting a cloud ERP platform.
Capital investments in electric infrastructure, including upgrades and renewable energy integration, fueled a double-digit rise in utilities’ electricity spending from 2003 to 2023. We break down the figures here.
Backed by U.S. investment in semiconductor fabrication, billions are being injected into large-scale construction projects. Could building materials and MRO distributors benefit? Our Logistics Liaison explores.
There’s no better time to find out what keeps distribution executives up at night than at the start of the year. We analyze more than 250 write-in responses to our early January survey question asking about their top concerns.
The latest MDM Forecast moved more optimistically for the total industry vs. December for both 2025 and 2026. See your sector-specific outlook.
Along with updated projections for full-year 2024 and 2025, our latest forecast shows 2026 sector-specific expectations.
Of the 3Q24 Baird-MDM Survey respondents who will do away with hybrid schedules, most cited collaboration as a key driver in the decision.
Work with a banking partner that knows your business. Get detailed information on investment banks with expertise in the wholesale distribution industry.
Build strategic sales plans.
Determine market and demand.
Create smart prospect lists.
Turn your sales data into actionable data with Market Prospector. A web-based SAAS tool that gives you insight into your market, your territories, your customers and new prospects too.
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