With more competition from nontraditional sources, the industrial distribution space is already highly competitive. So how does a new entrant like AgoNow set itself up for success? You have to "be a partner that's solution-oriented," CEO Larry Davis said in MDM Interview: AgoNow Skates into Crowded Market – and in today's market that means more than providing product.
Davis and John Allenbach, president of sales, recently spoke with MDM about what differentiates AgoNow from its competitors.
"Distributors have more options and more supply sources than they ever have, so they need a partner that can help solve some of these problems," Davis said. "Yes, there are a lot of people that do master distribution. The question is do they do it right and in a way that serves the needs of the distributors and the suppliers?"
The Tulsa, OK-based master distributor opened its doors in November, describing itself as a "channel solutions provider."
“It’s about a total market experience," Davis said. "We want to meet the needs of both manufacturers and distributors and create a digital marketplace where true channel partnerships can thrive.”
A key piece of building that "true partnership" is through analytics and shared data. The company wants to help its customers understand their markets and their customers, Davis said. The team at AgoNow can leverage its technology platform to pattern product consumption and identify new opportunities for gaining share.
"How do we make them more intentional and more crisp in their execution and targeting of revenue growth?" Davis said.
Davis and Allenbach are capitalizing on their years of experience in distribution and manufacturing to build a strategy to address those challenges. Davis was formerly president at ORS Nasco and the chief commercial officer at Stellar Industrial Supply. Allenbach served as senior vice president of sales and marketing at Apex Tool Group.
Read more about how AgoNow plans to identify and meet the unmet market needs in in MDM Interview: AgoNow Skates into Crowded Market.