Uncertainty is having an ‘adverse impact’ on optimism levels, economist says.
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Posts By Jenel Stelton-Holtmeier
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Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, businesses that have taken a “wait-and-see” approach to much of the law will have to take quick action to determine what they need to do to ensure they are in compliance. This article examines some of the key provisions of the PPACA and steps that businesses should be taking now.
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act– commonly referred to as Obamacare – as constitutional, bringing to a close yet another chapter of the heated debate that has raged in Washington and across the country since the bill was passed in 2010. While some measures, such as the elimination of preexisting conditions for children and the extension of coverage for children to age 26, were already implemented, many more are slated to go into effect over the next 18 months.
But there’s a problem: The law contains so many provisions that it can be difficult for anyone to really understand what they need to do next. And misconceptions persist about what the law includes. In a recent MDM survey …
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Your biggest competitors may now actually be the customers who can learn for themselves.
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Shifts in labor costs may signal a change in Europe’s economic woes.
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Expectations for revenue growth in 2012 continued to decline in the second-quarter 2012 MDM/Baird Distribution Survey. On average, survey respondents expect revenue growth of 5.2 percent for the full-year 2012, compared with 5.6 percent in the first-quarter survey. Respondents expect revenues to increase by an average of 5.5 percent in the third quarter.
Actual revenue growth for the second quarter exceeded expectations, with an average increase of 7.5 percent compared with the forecast 7 percent. Cutting tools, PVF – industrial & energy, and safety products saw the greatest growth, while respondents in janitorial/sanitation and plumbing sectors reported…
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Overall average revenue growth outpaces forecasts from the first quarter, but is lower than year-over-year growth.
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Uncertainty about politics and policies translating to delayed investment.
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Now that the Supreme Court has upheld the Affordable Care Act, what should employers do to make sure they’re in compliance?
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This report provides an in-depth look at the key trends, opportunities and challenges facing wholesaler-distributors across distribution sectors. This report also includes sector trends for nine distribution sectors, as well as the top distributors in 14 sectors (MDM Market Leaders).
Articles in this report include
- Wave of Consolidation Hits the Industry
- Vending Explodes as a Service
- Distributors Put Inventory Under the Microscope
- Distributors Looking to Hire Face Challenges
- Distributors Take Interest In and Action On E-Commerce, Mobile & Social Networks
- Other 2012 Trends in Wholesale Distribution: Services, Non-traditional Competition, Pricing, Global Expansion and Financing
- 2012 End-Market Trends Noted by Distributors
- Individual sector trends
Also in this report: lists of top distributors by sector
This report is provided in pdf when you log in, but individual articles can also be read online. Log-in to access this report now. Not a subscribers? This report is free to subscribers. Subscribe now for access.
Are you looking for market size estimates for the sectors included in this report? You may be looking for MDM's 2012 Wholesale Distribution Industry Landscape Report. Learn more here.
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In 2012, MDM is recognizing distributors that are innovative in their approach to their markets. Specialty building materials distributor C.H. Briggs is the first of two featured this year.
In wholesale distribution, “good enough” has long been a common theme for technology’s role in the business. But “good enough” was never good enough for C.H. Briggs, a specialty building materials distributor based in Reading, PA. “You can’t just accept what you’re told,” says CIO Scott Withers. “You have to ask yourself: What can this mean for me tomorrow?”
Following that philosophy has made C.H. Briggs a leader …
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As the eurozone countries continue to struggle with the ongoing economic crisis, experts offer some insight on the impact of potential actions.
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In the first episode, Jonathan Bein of Real Results Marketing focuses on finding a balance between your marketing channels.
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In the recent MDM Webcast, Selling for Profit: Turbocharge Your Profit Growth through Market Development and Sales Management, Jonathan Byrnes, senior lecturer at MIT and author of “Islands of Profit in a Sea of Red Ink,” said companies must find a unique value proposition that provides the right value to the right customers at the right time instead of trying to be everything to everyone. Here’s a summary of the webcast, now available on-demand or on DVD at www.mdm.com/sellingforprofit.
Is your value proposition so strong that after trying your service three times, new customers will be hooked for life? Is it something that will have them viewing you as a partner rather than just another vendor?
Jonathan Byrnes, senior lecturer at MIT, posed these questions to attendees of the recent MDM Webcast, Selling for Profit: Turbocharge Your Profit Growth through Market Development and Sales Management. If you answered no, you might want to …
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Global distributor will capitalize on Platts reputation in the Pacific Northwest.
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Opportunities for cross-selling arent always as intuitive as hammers and nails.
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Amazon.com recently launched AmazonSupply.com, a B-to-B website with more than 500,000 products across 14 categories in industrial and lab supplies. This article, with input from distributors, manufacturers, service providers and industry consultants, examines the potential impact of Amazon’s move into industrial markets. MDM also outlines the next steps for distributors looking to compete more effectively in an increasingly crowded market.
With a broad product offering, name recognition and years of e-commerce best practices under its belt, Amazon and its new industrial marketplace – AmazonSupply.com – should not be discounted as a competitor to independent distributors.
That’s what many industry consultants, distributors and manufacturers say about Amazon’s recent announcement that it would serve the B-to-B market in a formal and more aggressive way by selling more than 500,000 industrial and lab supply products across 14 categories at AmazonSupply.com.
While Amazon has been growing its sales of these products over the past few years, AmazonSupply.com signals a much more serious intent to compete in industrial and commercial markets.
The Details
Amazon is capitalizing on what Grainger, MSC and other large MRO distributors call “unplanned spend” for MRO supplies. Grainger in the past has put the percentage of unplanned spend for MRO as high as 75 percent of all purchases in the category. That’s a huge opportunity.
It’s also homing in…
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Tips on how to tell if you’re micromanaging your employees – and how to change your approach.
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Some consolidators are filling a need for owners who are looking for an exit now that the economy has turned back up.
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In November 2011, private equity firm Advent International made a majority investment in Morrison Supply Company, Fort Worth, TX, a distributor of plumbing and HVAC supplies. Chip Hornsby, an Advent operating partner and former CEO of Wolseley, joined Morrison as CEO. Hornsby and Stephen Hoffmeister, a partner with Advent International, recently spoke with Associate Editor Jenel Stelton-Holtmeier about the goals for Morrison, the differences between private equity-backed companies and public companies, and the importance of focusing on people when trying to grow.
Hornsby was also featured in the April 2012 Executive Briefing. Watch his interview here.
MDM: Because different private equity firms have different goals for the companies they invest in, could you tell me a little bit about Advent’s philosophy?
Stephen Hoffmeister: We were founded in the ‘80s as a venture capital firm, and as a legacy of our founding, we are very much a growth-focused investor. Our goal is typically to double or triple the size of the businesses in which we invest. Our philosophy is to support growth in our companies in a way that is reasonable and sustainable and to do it in a way that those achievements are permanent in the long term. When you think about this context and what we can accomplish, it is reasonable to think about substantially growing the size of Morrison Supply over a four- or five-year timeframe.
MDM: What attracted Advent to Morrison?
Hoffmeister: Morrison is the leader in the Southwest plumbing supply market, and we really view that as a terrific position in a relatively more attractive market. The Southwest market, in terms of the macro-market as well as in the general economy, is in a relatively better place than most of the rest of the U.S. Candidly, we’re looking at a lot of opportunities both within the re…
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Robert W. Baird & Co., in partnership with Modern Distribution Management, conducted a survey of more than 500 distributors and manufacturers to gauge business trends and the outlook for the distribution industry in diverse sectors. Here is a summary of first-quarter results and distributor and manufacturer expectations for the second quarter and full year of 2012.
Expectations for revenue growth in 2012 remain solid among respondents to the first-quarter 2012 MDM/Baird survey, though at a lower rate than seen in other recent surveys. On average, survey respondents expect revenue growth of 7 percent in the second quarter of 2012 and 5.6 percent for the full year.
These forecasts come on the heels of a strong first quarter, with overall average revenue growth of …
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