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Through a discussion with the CIO of each company, we get into the weeds of the what, why and how behind the electrical and fastener distributors’ AI journey and the decisions that led to success with the technology.
We spoke with the electrical distributor’s Co-CEOs on being approachable and the entrepreneurial element infused into its business model.
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, we gathered commentary from numerous distributors with locations that were in its direct path
The first of this three-part series examines how the HVACR distributor achieved its current top market position and scale and how it serves its customer base.
What homework precludes your hard-earned expansion into a new state? We spoke with a distributor well-versed in recent growth to learn what has been involved.
Consider perfecting these four pillars to create a company culture that supports and encourages innovation in distribution.
Amid rampant profit erosion industry-wide, this article explores specific actions distributors are now using to restore their past profit rates.
We consulted a legal expert well-versed in DEI legal policy and advisement on how leadership teams can navigate what could become a tricky situation.
Month-to-month, the revenue outlook for 2024 improved modestly, while 2025’s had a healthy increase. See those figures plus an updated GDP forecast here.
The last of this three-part Premium series examines how the plumbing, HVAC and industrial distributor has leveraged Ferguson.com, Build.com and Ferguson Rewards
This case study details the MRO products distributor’s pandemic-born initiative to complement its third-party software solutions with in-house technology, and the ROI gained from the hybrid approach.
The second of this three-part Premium series examines the plumbing, HVAC and industrial supplier’s exclusive brands that have been a key market accelerator.
Fastenal launched an AI-upgraded chatbot in June, and is currently building a sourcing tool — both intended to help its staff. Get the details here.
With demand softness lasting longer than any industrial distributor would prefer, we examine recent executive commentary and numerous economic indicators to make sense of business conditions.
The first of this three-part Premium series examines the plumbing, HVAC and industrial supplier’s scaled diversification that has put it at or near the top of many of MDM’s Top Distributors Lists.
Month-to-month, all but two of the U.S. wholesale trade’s 19 sectors saw further regression in our August forecast.
Through a new report and an interview with someone close to QXO, MDM gleaned insights about which building materials verticals the splash-making distributor is targeting.
More than half of respondents in the 2Q24 Baird-MDM Distribution Survey indicated they characterized 2Q24 as slightly or much more competitive than a year earlier.
As distributors look to add to their headcount in a challenging labor market, tech experts share three ways automation can help.
While anecdotal evidence points to industry improvement in hiring and retention, we polled hundreds of distributors about their turnover rate over the past year across leadership/management and frontline roles.
MDM attended the distributor’s biennial event in late June to learn all about its recent innovations, strategy and path ahead.
What distribution customers want and expect has changed rapidly in the past five years. Kevin McGirl explains how distributors can keep up.
Distributors can create libraries of genuinely useful resources, which can allow prospects and customers to find what they need.
Hybrid selling requires sales reps to do more than guide a prospect through a spec sheet or web content. Reps can also help prospects understand the scope of their needs and align features and benefits to customer wants and needs.
Nearly every aspect of the sales process is undergoing significant transformation. Here are useful takeaways for distributors that are struggling to navigate the changing sales landscape.
One of the sessions at the ISA22 event centered on the topic of omnichannel and what it means today — which goes far beyond just having an e-commerce presence. Here’s the key takeaways from that session and their applications.
Susan Merlo explains how using strategies to provide significant information to the right buyers at the right time is essential to a successful digital sales transformation.
Customer expectations are shifting and distributors are rethinking the qualities that make for a strong salesperson.
Customers are engaging in purchasing behavior contrary to their own decision confidence, but distribution sales reps can help.
With a new digital sales playbook, the distributor turned its sales focus from inanimate products to targeting efficient customer experiences.
Customers are engaging in purchasing behavior contrary to their own decision confidence, but distribution sales reps can help.
Days are numbered for the traditional inside-outside sales model in distribution, say executives at Earnest Machine and Gustave A. Larson. Here’s how they developed a new integrated approach.
Can distributors overcome constraints of traditional gross margin-based sales models to form better systems and achieve breakthrough performance?
Salespeople will continue to hit the road when and where they can, but distributors still need to hone their remote sales tactics.
Salespeople will continue to hit the road when and where they can, but distributors still need to hone their remote sales tactics.
Sales team transformations accelerate thanks to online sales growth and COVID-19-related restrictions on in-person meetings.
Industry leaders share how distributors can transform their sales processes.
Three of the biggest challenges distributors face to better understand how companies should proceed with technology investment.
Heard one of these lately? Customers are sick of Zoom; they never want to see a salesperson in-person again; they are moving all their orders to Amazon because we’ve heard how AMZ has blown up during the pandemic, etc. Our team at MDM looks at conventional wisdom like some people look at clay pigeons – we can’t wait to shoot ‘em down! Happy we got our chance.
With the benefit of today’s data tools, visualization software and reporting tools, customer stratification is more valuable than ever.
The pandemic has provided a ripe opportunity for this often-discussed, much-needed organizational change. Here’s where to begin.
The third and final part of this MDM Premium series provides a deep dive Wesco’s digitization strategy and how it’s constantly improving how the organization serves customers.
We benchmarked the results of a large-scale poll on distributors’ AI usage against that of a year earlier, and the findings were eye-opening. This piece examines the comparative results.
New tech features and a landmark acquisition illustrate the many elephants in the distribution room today.
Unexpected results from the distributor’s pilot phase of a web pricing realignment rollout may serve as a cautionary tale for others to avoid emulating.
In pursuing better cash flow, the challenge is identifying the sales that are canceling profits already made, and that’s where analytics comes in.
Learn to root out these six cognitive biases within your distribution business to better incorporate analytics and data-driven decision-making.
Examine the potential rooftop solar has for distributors’ ROI, and review a case study of a small distributor getting results from recent installations.
Mike Hockett analyzes Sonepar’s 26-year North American expansion that has led to over $15 billion in 2023 sales, with most of that in the U.S.
Distributors are dealing with more potential business risks today than ever before. We polled hundreds of them to determine what the biggest risks are, and dissected plenty of interesting commentary.
We gathered polling data and commentary from hundreds of respondents to find out. Find our analysis on the results here.
We analyze the qualitative results of our 1Q24 Baird-MDM Distribution Survey question that asked distributors about current or expected impacts from geopolitical issues.
We share insights from distributors on how they’ve been affected by the tragic March 26 collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Port of Baltimore, and examine its broader logistics impacts.
It’s time to think differently. Guest author Dirk Beveridge wants distributors to join his mission to improve the lives of 51% of the distribution workforce by 2051.
Mike Hockett analyzes different angles of this $18.25 billion megadeal in building materials distribution and the questions it raises for the markets it touches.
The massive supply chain expo and conference showcased the latest and greatest in warehouse tech, with much of it aimed at augmenting labor woes.
While adoption rates for both sides are relatively slow-going, this piece examines new data that shows the gap between them.
The company’s biennial Grainger Show customer event perfectly demonstrated how the distributor is hyper-focused on customer solutions — just one of which is its expansive product assortment.
The second of this three-part MDM Premium series examines Wesco’s strategy to digitalize and transform its business while developing its team and culture of excellence.
Despite the month-to-month regression for 2024 and 2025, full-year revenues are still expected to outperform the U.S. GDP by a healthy margin.
The first in this three-part Premium series examines the state of electrical supplies distributor Wesco International, how it got to this point and the strategic pillars powering the organization.
Accelerated diversification amongst product verticals has complicated our Top Distributors process in recent years, while also making it increasingly fascinating, as this piece explains.
The U.S. wholesale distribution’s sector’s overall revenue outlook for 2024 moved more aligned with its historical growth average, with an even better 2025 to follow.
All but two of the 19 wholesale distribution sectors we track moved more pessimistic month-to-month in our May forecast for 2024 revenue growth, which moved into lower single digits.
A key question in the latest Baird-MDM Distribution Survey addressed whether there is a real trend in suppliers changing minimum purchasing requirements, and who it’s impacting most.
Work with a banking partner that knows your business. Get detailed information on investment banks with expertise in the wholesale distribution industry.
Build strategic sales plans.
Determine market and demand.
Create smart prospect lists.
Turn your sales data into actionable data with Market Prospector. A web-based SAAS tool that gives you insight into your market, your territories, your customers and new prospects too.
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