This is Part 2 of an interview with David Pugh, CEO of industrial distributor Applied Industrial Technologies. In this piece, Pugh talks about new markets, fluid power, e-commerce, integrated supply and the impact of the recession on channel relationships. Find Part 1 of this interview here.
MDM: You have made some key acquisitions in the fluid power segment. How does that fit into your growth plans going forward?
David Pugh: We started our fluid power growth in the mid-‘90s. I am not sure we truly understood the business when we headed into it because we pictured it to be a lot like bearing and power transmission. The manufacturers supplying the industry have a different mindset with regard to how they use distribution and how they authorize distribution. That was an eye-opener for us.
