In this article, Profit Planning Group's Al Bates illustrates how top companies across sectors were able to deliver strong profit results relative to their peers during the recession. He explains the four profit drivers that often are the differences between typical and high-profit firms, and with that data, he shows what typical companies can do to recession-proof their firms.

The so-called Great Recession created a unique set of financial challenges for distributors. In many lines of trade, sales didn't just decline, they fell precipitously. Overall, profits sank to the lowest point since distributor financial benchmarking was established in the 1970s.

Despite the challenges, a large number of firms continued to generate strong profits. A few even produced exceptional results. Understanding how they did that is essential …