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.

MDM 1Q26 Forecast Report

This comprehensive MDM 1Q26 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. This report was freshly updated in late February.

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.

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.

Case Studies

MDM Case Study: Ludwig Meister

Ludwig Meister shows how disciplined sequencing — not flashy tech — drives real innovation. Authored by former MDM CEO and Editor Tom Gale, this case study details how the German distributor built a data-driven, AI-enabled operation by prioritizing internal processes, clean data and execution before transforming sales and customer experience.

MDM Case Study: LINC Systems

This deep dive — authored by MDM’s Tom Gale — traces the strategic components of LINC Systems’ service-first model and growth trajectory, as well as the key inflection points that created the fasteners distributor’s formula for success.

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Strategy

Inside Grainger Show: How a 12,000-Person Event Reinforces the Distributor’s Customer-Centric Model

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Economic Trends

MDM Forecast: March Update

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Technology

How Singer Industrial Is Using Technology to Connect – Not Control – its Platform

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Leadership

Ludwig Meister, Pt. 3: Making Innovation Stick – Culture, People & Reengineering Sales

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Data & Analytics

Ludwig Meister, Pt. 2: From Data to AI, How to Embed Innovation into Operations

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Mergers & Acquisitions

Singer Industrial’s Acquisition Playbook: Patience, People and Platform Fit

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Pricing

Where SPAs Fail, How to Fix Them, and Disciplines of Optimization

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Mergers & Acquisitions

February M&A Roundup: QXO, Hajoca Lead Robust Month

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Strategy

Inside The Operating Model Powering Singer Industrial’s Growth

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Digital Commerce

Benchmarks: How Much of Distributor Sales Come from Digital?

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ERP

Amid MRC Global Integration, DNOW Wrestles with Challenges from ERP Transition

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Pricing

The 1% Problem: Why Even Best-in-Class Distributors Leave SPA Margin on the Table

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Economic Trends

MDM Forecast: February Update

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Pricing

The Hidden Margin of SPAs, and their Strategic Advantage

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Quarterly MDM-Baird Distribution Survey

Research: Distributors Rate their Top Workforce Challenges

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Quarterly MDM-Baird Distribution Survey

Despite Tariff Turbulence, Most Distributors Haven’t Changed Where They Source — Yet

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Inventory Management

Keys to Actively Manage Your Inventory Portfolio for Financial Yield

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Quarterly MDM-Baird Distribution Survey

Research: Most Distributors Expect to Increase Tech Investment in 2026

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Economic Trends

MDM Forecast: January Update Offers Our First Look at 2027

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Fasteners

Fastenal’s Pricing Impact Expands in Q4 as Sluggish Market Conditions Continue

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Building Materials/Construction

STAFDA Channel Chat, Pt. 1: eCommerce & Marketing Opportunities, Pitfalls

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Sales & Marketing

Tech as a Teammate: How to Use Automation to Lighten the Sales Load

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Branding for Distributors

Inside Global Industrial’s ‘Engaged’ Sports Marketing

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Featured Premium

Friction Fixes: How to Align Sales with Operations

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Strategy

How to Map Your Customers to the Right Channels and Reps

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Sales & Marketing

How to Refresh and Refine Your Customer Segmentation

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Pricing

How Did Pricing Inflation Affect Gross Margin in 2022? Here’s What Distributors Said

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Pricing

How Rockstar CFOs Solve the Inflation Puzzle

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Pricing

How Much Did Pricing Impact 2022 Revenue? Here’s What Distributors Told Us

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Strategy

An Introduction to Incentive Loyalty Programs

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Pricing

Baird-MDM 3Q Survey: Distributors Expect Pricing to Increase at Slower Rate in 2023

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Pricing

Distributor Margin Management in Inflationary Markets

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Sales & Marketing

Let’s Make the Future of Distribution Sales Easier

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Pricing

5 Ways Distributors Can Manage Inflation

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Technology

AI’s Role in Increasing Sales Rep Efficiency

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Sales & Marketing

Global Industrial Continues Sales Structure Diversification

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Sales & Marketing

Customer Retention: The Golden Goose in Distribution Has New Demands

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Sales & Marketing

Content: A Wingman for Distribution Sales Teams

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Sales & Marketing

Harnessing the Power of Personalized Selling

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Sales & Marketing

How to Handle Distribution Sales Transformation

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Strategy

Inside Grainger Show: How a 12,000-Person Event Reinforces the Distributor’s Customer-Centric Model

The 2026 edition brought together enough Grainger customers, suppliers and staff to fill a small town, but the real story is how the event showcases the company's evolving value proposition. Mike Hockett shares his key takeaways from three days at Grainger Show and executive commentary about what it provides for all stakeholders involved.

Economic Trends

MDM Forecast: March Update

Our latest update shows a major upgrade for the U.S. wholesale distribution industry's 2026 annual revenues - heavily skewed by oil pricing assumptions tied to the Iran conflict. Get your much more valuable sector-specific revenue forecasts here.

Technology

How Singer Industrial Is Using Technology to Connect – Not Control – its Platform

Singer Industrial is undertaking a multiyear ERP transformation to unify systems across 55+ businesses. In this third and final part of an MDM Case Study series, we detail how the initiative — alongside investments in data, AI and cybersecurity — is driving efficiency, visibility and scalability across the company’s growing distribution platform.

Leadership

Ludwig Meister, Pt. 3: Making Innovation Stick – Culture, People & Reengineering Sales

The third and final part of this case study series on Germany-based power transmission and motion control distributor Ludwig Meiser explores why disciplined execution ultimately depends on people, trust and behavior — not technology.

Data & Analytics

Ludwig Meister, Pt. 2: From Data to AI, How to Embed Innovation into Operations

Part 2 of this case study series on Germany-based power transmission and motion control distributor Ludwig Meister explores turning data discipline, analytics and AI into real operating leverage — without losing focus or control.

Mergers & Acquisitions

Singer Industrial’s Acquisition Playbook: Patience, People and Platform Fit

The second part of our Singer Industrial deep dive explores how the industrial rubber, fluid power and automation distribution organization decides which distributors to bring into its growing platform. President Pete Haberbosch explains the company’s people-first criteria, relationship-driven sourcing strategy and disciplined approach to integration — and why walking away from the wrong deal can be just as important as closing the right one.

Pricing

Where SPAs Fail, How to Fix Them, and Disciplines of Optimization

Special pricing agreements are a major margin lever for distributors — yet many leave money unclaimed due to data mismatches, rising complexity and reactive processes. The third and final article in this series outlines common SPA failure points and a three-pronged strategy to recover margin and drive growth.

Mergers & Acquisitions

February M&A Roundup: QXO, Hajoca Lead Robust Month

This year has started with two strong months of dealmaking, with February tying for the most deals we’ve counted since the start of 2024. Get our breakdown of deals tracked per month over the past 2 years, deals by product category through two months of 2026 and a full rundown of every transaction we published news about during February.

Strategy

Inside The Operating Model Powering Singer Industrial’s Growth

We take a deep dive into the industrial rubber, fluid power and automation distributor's “coordinated autonomy” model — a strategy designed to balance shared scale advantages with true local decision-making. Here’s how Singer preserves legacy brands and entrepreneurial leadership while scaling a unified platform.

Digital Commerce

Benchmarks: How Much of Distributor Sales Come from Digital?

We share our latest survey-driven snapshot of what distributors and manufacturers indicated their digital sales are, plenty of commentary from distributors on the matter and our analysis and context on underlying factors.

ERP

Amid MRC Global Integration, DNOW Wrestles with Challenges from ERP Transition

When their $1.5 billion combination finalized in early November, it also kicked off a U.S. ERP transition for MRC that has had major problems from the start. We detail and analyze what DNOW has shared about those issues.

Pricing

The 1% Problem: Why Even Best-in-Class Distributors Leave SPA Margin on the Table

Many distributors believe they collect 100% of the special pricing agreement profit margin they claim. The real question is different: Are you claiming everything you’re entitled to? The second of this three-part deep dive series explores the hidden operational gaps quietly draining SPA margin.

Economic Trends

MDM Forecast: February Update

Our latest update shows a modest downgrade for 2025 annual revenues before we get December's government data, and a larger downward revision for 2026. Get your product sector-specific forecasts here through 2027.

Pricing

The Hidden Margin of SPAs, and their Strategic Advantage

For many distributors, Special Pricing Agreement management has become an administrative burden to survive, not something to optimize. The first of this three-part article series explores how SPAs represent hidden margin for distributors and a roadmap for optimizing them.

Quarterly MDM-Baird Distribution Survey

Research: Distributors Rate their Top Workforce Challenges

One-third of distributors polled in the 4Q25 Baird-MDM Industrial Distribution survey say recruiting skilled labor is their biggest workforce challenge this year — and rising wages are forcing some to make cuts. We analyze the data and commentary here.

Quarterly MDM-Baird Distribution Survey

Despite Tariff Turbulence, Most Distributors Haven’t Changed Where They Source — Yet

Years of supply chain disruption haven’t triggered the sourcing pivot many expected. New Baird-MDM survey findings explore why industrial distributors are largely holding steady — and what’s really standing in the way of faster reshoring and nearshoring decisions.

Inventory Management

Keys to Actively Manage Your Inventory Portfolio for Financial Yield

Now is the time for distributors to abandon their “just-in-case” mindset, argues Nelson Valderrama. Today’s (and future) markets and competition require strategic inventory management that optimizes the return on investment in countless SKUs with shifting values.

Quarterly MDM-Baird Distribution Survey

Research: Most Distributors Expect to Increase Tech Investment in 2026

Driven by continued AI adoption and ERP upgrades, more than half of the distributors/manufacturers polled in the 4Q25 Baird-MDM survey expect to increase IT investment in 2026.

Economic Trends

MDM Forecast: January Update Offers Our First Look at 2027

Our January update shows 2025 finishing up as a solid annual growth year for the industry. Get your product sector-specific forecasts here through 2027.

Fasteners

Fastenal’s Pricing Impact Expands in Q4 as Sluggish Market Conditions Continue

We dissect all the key figures from Fastenal's full year, 4Q and December results and provide the context around them.

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Strategy

Inside Grainger Show: How a 12,000-Person Event Reinforces the Distributor’s Customer-Centric Model

Economic Trends

MDM Forecast: March Update

Technology

How Singer Industrial Is Using Technology to Connect – Not Control – its Platform

Leadership

Ludwig Meister, Pt. 3: Making Innovation Stick – Culture, People & Reengineering Sales

Data & Analytics

Ludwig Meister, Pt. 2: From Data to AI, How to Embed Innovation into Operations

Mergers & Acquisitions

Singer Industrial’s Acquisition Playbook: Patience, People and Platform Fit

Pricing

Where SPAs Fail, How to Fix Them, and Disciplines of Optimization

Mergers & Acquisitions

February M&A Roundup: QXO, Hajoca Lead Robust Month

Strategy

Inside The Operating Model Powering Singer Industrial’s Growth

Digital Commerce

Benchmarks: How Much of Distributor Sales Come from Digital?

ERP

Amid MRC Global Integration, DNOW Wrestles with Challenges from ERP Transition

Pricing

The 1% Problem: Why Even Best-in-Class Distributors Leave SPA Margin on the Table

Economic Trends

MDM Forecast: February Update

Pricing

The Hidden Margin of SPAs, and their Strategic Advantage

Quarterly MDM-Baird Distribution Survey

Research: Distributors Rate their Top Workforce Challenges

Quarterly MDM-Baird Distribution Survey

Despite Tariff Turbulence, Most Distributors Haven’t Changed Where They Source — Yet

Inventory Management

Keys to Actively Manage Your Inventory Portfolio for Financial Yield

Quarterly MDM-Baird Distribution Survey

Research: Most Distributors Expect to Increase Tech Investment in 2026

Driven by continued AI adoption and ERP upgrades, more than half of the distributors/manufacturers polled in the 4Q25 Baird-MDM survey expect to increase IT investment in 2026.

Economic Trends

MDM Forecast: January Update Offers Our First Look at 2027

Our January update shows 2025 finishing up as a solid annual growth year for the industry. Get your product sector-specific forecasts here through 2027.

Fasteners

Fastenal’s Pricing Impact Expands in Q4 as Sluggish Market Conditions Continue

We dissect all the key figures from Fastenal's full year, 4Q and December results and provide the context around them.

Investment Banking Directory

Work with a banking partner that knows your business. Get detailed information on investment banks with expertise in the wholesale distribution industry.

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…

Payments as a Competitive Advantage

Credit approval and payment workflows remain a persistent source of friction for many distributors,…

AI Pricing Agents

Pricing is no longer a periodic exercise for distributors—it is a continuous challenge shaped…

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Large Distributors are Gaining Pricing Power 6X Faster than You. Here’s the Data

May M&A Roundup: Ferguson Adds a Half Dozen & Rexel Inks Midwest Boost

Vendor Costs are Eating Your Margin. Your Bigger Competitors Don’t Have that Problem

Research: Competitive Pressure in Distribution Persists, Intensifies Driven by Scale

MDM Forecast: May Update

Market Analytics, Pt. 3: From Insight to Intervention – Activating the Growth Engine

Graybar’s Mazzarella on AI, Advocacy and Distribution’s Human Advantage

QXO Maps Out Post-Deal Playbook as it Integrates Beacon, Kodiak and Adds TopBuild

DNOW Says MRC ERP System Has Stabilized as Optimization Work Continues

Deep Dive: Inside Grainger’s Best Quarter in 3 Years

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK REPORTS

MDM 2Q26 Forecast Report

MDM 1Q26 Forecast Report

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MDM May 2026 Premium Monthly

Market Insight Reports

MDM 1Q26 M&A Report

MDM 1Q26 MarketPulse Report

Case Studies

MDM Case Study: Ludwig Meister

MDM Case Study: LINC Systems

Investment Banking Directory

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

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

Payments as a Competitive Advantage

AI Pricing Agents

Market Prospector

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