This issue includes an interview and articles on global market changes, private label strategy, a major international acquisition in the office products distribution sector, an analysis of ESOPs, and how one distributor is leveraging environmentally-friendly product offerings.
 
My first thought regarding this mix is how different distribution markets look today. Green”products were not part of the line card ten years ago. But like the happy lobster feeling the temperature of the water rising nicely, maybe my memory isn’t perfect when it comes to incremental changes. So I drew some help from the MDM Archives.
 
In 1998, suppliers and distributors were dealing with major structural changes in channels with the growth of integrated …