Tom Gale
Tom Gale has been an MDM researcher and industry analyst for 30+ years on independent distribution channel trends, consolidation, technology and competitive landscape. He is a frequent speaker and moderator on these topics at company, marketing group and association meetings in North America and Europe.
Posts By Tom Gale
If not managed properly, too much of a good thing can backfire.
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- MDM-Baird Distribution Survey: Storms Stunt Distributor Growth
- Distributors Up Search Marketing Efforts
- Amazon Business: The Burning E-Platform
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WSJ report: Company's new service would "vie with FedEx, UPS."
In case you missed it, Amazon just announced 2017 results. Once again, they didnt hold back on bulleted highlights, including items related to Amazon Business and its continued growth into distribution channels. Here is some color commentary on Amazons 2017 advances.
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- MDM-Baird Distribution Survey: Storms Stunt Distributor Growth
- Distributors Up Search Marketing Efforts
- Amazon Business: The Burning E-Platform
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MDM held its 2018 Distribution Industry Outlook webcast in January, including the latest economic outlook, financial and trend indicators, and MDM’s thesis that 2018 is an inflection point of several multi-year trends.Subscribers should log in below to read this article.
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- Millennials in Distribution: No Magic in US LUMBERs Strategy
- Endgame Strategy: A Must for Distributors
- Graingers Pricing Initiative, pt 2: The Quest for Optimization
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Fluid power & flow control business will reach close to 40 percent of revenue.
Deal valued at $380 million is smart move for both companies.
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Follow these tips to start building a data-driven culture.
The story about a North Sea oil rig workers leap into the water in 1988 from a scorching platform works well to apply to the knowns, unknowns, hype and misconceptions that have accompanied Amazons infiltration, integration and displacement of distribution channels.
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MDM is thrilled to start a new chapter for the company.
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- Millennials in Distribution: No Magic in US LUMBERs Strategy
- Endgame Strategy: A Must for Distributors
- Graingers Pricing Initiative, pt 2: The Quest for Optimization
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Distributor accounts for almost a third of sales among suppliers.
The power of analytics and data to improve company performance has grabbed everyones attention, and with extremely positive impacts overall, but too often we fixate on specific data points and then lose sight of the larger (and sometimes smaller) picture.
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- Millennials in Distribution: No Magic in US LUMBERs Strategy
- Endgame Strategy: A Must for Distributors
- Graingers Pricing Initiative, pt 2: The Quest for Optimization
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The latest forecast from ITR Economics is that the Industrial Production Index will peak in February and then slowly taper the rest of the year, dropping more sharply in 2019. In light of whats coming, ITRs Alan Beaulieu delivered an important message at the NIBA/PTDA Joint Industry Summit now, more than ever, is the time for strong leadership and investing in your business.
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- Millennials in Distribution: Culture Trumps Everything
- Endgame Strategy: A Must for Distributors
- Commentary: Best Practices for Recruiting Millennials
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For more than 20 years, technology adoption in distribution has lived with this axiom: The distribution industry moves at its own pace, and it reflects the wants and needs of its customers. On the other side is this: distribution, particularly industrial channels, is on the slow end of the technology adoption curve. As with most things, the truth is somewhere in the middle.
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- Distribution M&A Playbook, pt. 2: The 8 Fatal Flaws in M&A
- Top Trends for 2017
- MDM Interview: Watsco Aims for ‘Bigger, Better, Faster’
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What happens after the transaction can destroy a "perfect" strategic fit.
This article originally ran as a blog on mdm.com. Rusty contributed to this column over many years. He was passionate about this newsletter, and in this day of blogs and 24/7 content, it is fitting to include it here to honor him in the printed edition, which takes a deeper look at the industry issues he cared so much about.
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- Culture as a Competitive Advantage
- Amazon Elevates ‘Right-Now’ Expectations
- Data Redefines Channel Roles
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Save money by avoiding the missteps that other distributors have made.
Visionary, champion of big data helped shape industrial channel marketing.
If it can’t dominate an industry digitally, Amazon will buy the bricks and mortar to get there.
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- Can Grainger Make it up on Volume?
- 2017 State of M&A in Distribution: ‘Never Been a Better Time to Sell’
- Don’t Confuse Rules with Policies
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