Contractor and industrial products wholesale buying group AD (Wayne, PA) reported Feb. 7 that 2023 sales for its owner/members increased 5% vs. 2022 to a record figure of $78.9 billion.

The group said that purchases by member companies from AD supplier partners were $19.8 billion, while net distributions to owner/members were $1.4 billion.

AD added 49 new members to its community of independents in 2023 through a combination of organic growth and the merger with the groundwater-focused Baron Group in AD’s PVF – U.S. Division.

That count does not include the members joining AD as part of the merger with The Edge Group in AD’s Electrical – U.S. Division, which was effective Jan. 1, 2024. Additionally, existing AD members acquired 41 non-AD companies and 20 fellow members during 2023, while 34 of AD’s 860 members sold their business outside the group.

AD Chairman and CEO Bill Weisberg commented, “The independent distributor community is strong and growing in each of our industries in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico,” AD Chairman and CEO Bill Weisberg said in a news release. “Even though some independents do sell, many others are buying and expanding, adding new locations and attracting great people to their teams who value working at nimble, people-oriented companies. We are proud to partner with our owner/member-led boards and committees, our industry-leading suppliers, and a team of fantastic AD associates who are passionate about our mission in support of independents.”