Leadership Archives

Martin Supply’s Doug Ruggles on the Secret to Family-Owned Success

While this privately held industrial supplier with more than 300 employees may not be a Harvard Business School case study in management structure, the three-brother leadership team has managed to buck the odds of many third-generation businesses by nurturing an entrepreneurial culture in an 85-year-old company. Listen to Doug Ruggles share whats worked to drive growth with a customer-centric solutions approach, with host Tom Gale.

February 6, 2020

Strategy

Fastenal, Anixter, WESCO Grab Headlines: MDM’s Most-Read Blogs of January

WESCO lands Anixter International acquisition and Fastenal draws attention as earnings season gets underway. Follow the links below to read MDMs most popular blogs from January.

February 4, 2020

Operations

NAW Elects 2020 Officers

Members of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW), during the associations Executive Summit in Washington, DC, elected as chairman of the NAW Board of Directors, Douglas W. York, president and CEO of Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply.

January 31, 2020

Operations

Kennametal Announces Executive Leadership Changes

Ron Port, currently vice president and president of the Infrastructure segment, will become vice president and CCO, metal cutting business segments.

January 31, 2020

Leadership

Herm Isenstein, Founder of DISC, Passes Away

Isenstein was the founder of DISC, the industrys first, and foremost, market data resource.

October 8, 2019

Leadership

Farewell and Thank You to MDM

MDM President moves on, returning to roots at distribution consulting practice Real Results Marketing.

September 17, 2019

Featured Blog

How to Find and Attract Quality Candidates

Distributors need a solid recruitment plan for this competitive space with a low unemployment rate.

February 19, 2019

Featured Blog

How Well Do You Manage Change?

Companies must embrace change management if they want to stay competitive and viable.

April 4, 2018

Management

Tip: Navigate the Generational Shift by Knowing Your Customers

Understand how your customers plan to shop and buy in the future.

March 1, 2018

Human Resources in Wholesale Distribution

Tip: Define Career Development Paths for Younger Employees

Using more experienced employees' career paths will serve as a visual model to new workers.

October 26, 2017

Human Resources in Wholesale Distribution

Avoid Being Caught by Stupid

While many distribution owners and managers are making their companies more “user-friendly” with better web tools, they aren’t investing at the same pace in the most critical part of their future – their employees. Here are four tips for talent development that will differentiate your company and strengthen its position against the threats that keep emerging daily.

This article includes:

Talking with employees about retirement plans
Building "expert systems"
Rethinking your talent acquisition strategy
employee management

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Millennials in Distribution: ‘No Magic’ in US LUMBER’s Strategy
Endgame Strategy: A Must for Distributors
Grainger’s Pricing Initiative, pt 2: The Quest for Optimization

October 25, 2017

Companies

Millennials in Distribution: ‘No Magic’ in US LUMBER’s Strategy

This article examines the strategic decision by Atlanta, GA-based U.S. LUMBER to focus recruiting and development efforts on the millennial generation after the Great Recession.

This article includes:

Bringing the past to the present
Doing more ≠ promotion
U.S. LUMBER’s Core Values and Purpose

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Millennials in Distribution: Culture Trumps Everything
Endgame Strategy: A Must for Distributors
Commentary: Best Practices for Recruiting Millennials

October 10, 2017

Human Resources in Wholesale Distribution

10 Tips to Successfully Recruit Millennials

As millennials compose more and more of the workforce, here are 10 tips for how distributors can better integrate the next generation into their companies, based on MDMs reporting over the last few years.

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Not a subscriber? Subscribe below or learn more. Subscribers also have access to the following related articles:

Millennials in Distribution: Culture Trumps Everything
Endgame Strategy: A Must for Distributors
Commentary: Best Practices for Recruiting Millennials

October 10, 2017

Human Resources in Wholesale Distribution

Millennials in Distribution: Culture Trumps Everything

Being intentional about culture can help with recruiting and retaining millennials, who today compose nearly half the company. This article examines the decision by Durham, NC-based ACR Supply, where nearly half the company is comprised of millennials, 20 years ago to focus on culture and how it evolved into a place where the next generation wanted to work.

This article includes: