2024 was a big year for MDM. Our resources were supercharged when the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) acquired us in a move that strengthened our editorial relationship with some of the most innovative distributors in the country and introduced us to even more.

With an expanded reach and deepened network of readers, MDM Premium content has been front and center.

MDM Premium subscribers (which now include NAW members, who receive complementary access as a benefit of membership), have exclusive access to our most in-depth interviews, data-backed analysis, distributor case studies and more.

In a nutshell, MDM Premium is our top-value content, created just for distributors. You can’t find it anywhere else.

If you’re already a Premium subscriber, we thank you for your patronage this year, and we look forward to further strengthening our Premium content offering in 2025. Not a current Premium subscriber? You can change that.

In 2024, we published nearly 90 Premium articles. Here are the 25 that garnered the most reads:

Behind the Deal: Ferguson’s Bolt-On Acquisition Strategy Amplifies Growth (Feb. 26, 2024) — Hear from Ferguson’s CFO on its growth strategy and the acquisitions keeping the plumbing and industrial distribution giant in the headlines.

Exclusive: New Details Emerge on QXO’s Go-to-Market Plans (published Aug. 13, 2024) —Through a new report and an interview with someone close to QXO, MDM gleaned insights about which building materials verticals the splash-making distributor is targeting.

Grainger Leans into Role as “Problem-Solver” (March 1, 2024) —The company’s biennial Grainger Show customer event perfectly demonstrated how the distributor is hyper-focused on customer solutions — just one of which is its expansive product assortment.

Amazon Business, Home Depot Raise the Disruptor Ante (June 24, 2024) — New tech features and a landmark acquisition illustrate the many elephants in the distribution room today.

MSC’s Web Pricing Anomalies Expose Omnichannel Icebergs (June 20, 2024) — Unexpected results from the distributor’s pilot phase of a web pricing realignment rollout may serve as a cautionary tale for others to avoid emulating.

Inside Ferguson’s Private Brand Strategy (Aug. 27, 2024) — 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.

A Study of Sonepar’s North American Acquisition Journey (May 10, 2014) —Mike Hockett analyzes Sonepar’s 26-year North American expansion that has led to over $15 billion in 2023 sales, with most of that in the U.S.

Survey: How Will Supplier Pricing Impact Distributors’ Gross Margin in 2024? (Feb. 9, 2024) — 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.

Data: Distributors’ 2024 Sales Growth Outlook by End Market (Feb. 8, 2024) — Using charts from our 4Q23 Baird-MDM Survey conducted in the first half of January, we illustrate what this year’s sales growth expectations are for distributors across five key customer end markets.

Wesco Analysis, Pt. 1: Scale and Value Proposition (July 11, 2024) — The first in this three-part case study series examines the state of electrical supplies distributor Wesco International, how it got to this point and the strategic pillars powering the organization.

Amazon Business Ups Competitive Ante with VMI Services Launch (Oct. 10, 2024) — Get the details on the platform’s new vending program and what it means for distributors in terms of a potential threat.

How Motion Found its North Star, and Where it’s Headed (Jan. 4, 2025) —Derived from COO Joe Limbaugh’s fireside session at MDM’s 2023 SHIFT Conference, we dive into Motion’s 5-year and ongoing organizational transformation.

Fastenal Details Rollout of Internal AI Tools (Aug. 23, 2024) — Fastenal launched an AI-upgraded chatbot in June, and is currently building a sourcing tool — both intended to help its staff. Get the details here.

Ferguson to Position Closer to Contractors with Market Distribution Centers (April 15, 2024) — We update on where Ferguson is at in its MDC rollout plan that will place smaller distribution centers closer to pro customers in major metro areas.

How Decentralization Helped Scale ABC Supply to a $20B Distributor (Oct. 24, 2024) —ABC Supply’s CEO shares a scaling secret that defies business school teachings. Learn how decentralization fueled the building supply distributor’s rise to the top.

What SRS Distribution Does for Home Depot, and Some Remaining Questions (April 1, 2024) — Mike Hockett analyzes different angles of this $18.25 billion megadeal in building materials distribution and the questions it raises for the markets it touches.

Thinking of Adding Rooftop Solar? Here’s What Distributors Should Know (May 21, 2024) — Examine the potential rooftop solar has for distributors’ ROI, and review a case study of a small distributor getting results from recent installations.

Inside Border States’ Remarkable Expansion (March 22, 2024) — The distributor’s major acquisition of Dominion Electric is just the latest piece in what has been a rapid 13-year expansion. Mike Hockett breaks down what Dominion adds to Border States and how it aligns with its growth history.

MDM’s 2023 M&A Recap: A Mega Year in Dealmaking Activity (Jan. 2, 2024) — We dive into the numbers and analysis behind 2023’s totality in distributor dealmaking, which far outpaced the previous two years. Expect a similar breakdown in early January 2025.

Tactics to Align Order Value with Logistics Costs (How to Get Your Profits Back) (Sept. 18, 2024) — Amid rampant profit erosion industry-wide, this article explores specific actions distributors are now using to restore their past profit rates.

How Are Distributors Retaining Valuable Industry Knowledge? Here’s What They Told Us (Jan. 24, 2024) — It’s one of the biggest challenges as Baby Boomers retire and young talent is prone to job-hop. Here, we analyze our latest research into what distributors told us about their efforts on this front.

How Ferguson Worked Wonders with “Channel Drifting” Expansion (Aug. 19, 2024) — The first of this three-part Premium series examines the plumbing, HVAC and industrial supplier’s scaled diversification that has put it at or near the top of many of MDM’s Top Distributors Lists.

Diversification, Fragmentation Drive MDM’s Top Distributors Forward (June 21, 2024) — Accelerated diversification amongst product verticals has complicated our Top Distributors process in recent years, while also making it increasingly fascinating, as this piece explains.

Research: What’s Holding Distributors Back from AI Progress? (April 26, 2024) — We gathered polling data and commentary from hundreds of respondents to find out. Find our analysis on the results here.

Research: Distributors’ Top Business Risks & Concerns (May 6, 2024) — Distributors are dealing with more potential business risks today than ever before. We polled hundreds of them to determine what the biggest risks are, and dissected plenty of interesting commentary.

Oldie but a Goodie

For the second year in a row, a story from 2020 on the Zoro/distributor relationship continues to make our most-read list:

• Behind the Scenes of the Zoro/Distributor Relationship (April 10, 2020) — Zoro merchandises its nearly 4 million products thanks to help from its behind-the-scenes partnerships with a variety of distributors, from small businesses to larger outlets, operating in conjunction with a range of online channels — except Amazon.