MDM Premium Archives - Page 49 of 549 - Modern Distribution Management
Premium Member Dashboard

All your exclusive premium content in one location.

Premium Monthly

This jam-packed issue includes nine articles that span Ferguson’s diversification and private brand strategy; QXO’s acquisition plans; research on labor trends; Fastenal’s AI tools; and much more.

Market Insight Reports

Find a wealth of data and analysis extracted from the 2Q24 Baird-MDM Industrial Distribution Survey, including trending charts and figures for revenue and expectations, plus plenty of interesting commentary.
See our Premium M&A articles from April-June 2024, including Sonepar’s acquisition journey; how dealmaking impacts MDM’s Top Distributors feature; and the latest EBITDA trading multiples.
See our in-depth M&A articles from the first three months of 2024, including the Home Depot-SRS blockbuster; the acquisition strategy for Ferguson and Border States; and the latest EBITDA trading multiples.

Case Studies

This report examines Fastenal’s strategic pivots over the past ten years – digital, self-service, product mix, sales specialization and more – that have created one of the highest performing North American distributors as measured across most financial benchmarks.
millennialstraining

This article examines the strategic decision by Atlanta, GA-based U.S. LUMBER to focus recruiting and development efforts on the millennial generation after the Great Recession.

This article includes:

  • Bringing the past to the present
  • Doing more ≠ promotion
  • U.S. LUMBER’s Core Values and Purpose

Subscribers should log-in below to read this article.

Not a subscriber? Subscribe below or learn more. Subscribers also have access to the following related articles:

  • Millennials in Distribution: Culture Trumps Everything
  • Endgame Strategy: A Must for Distributors
  • Commentary: Best Practices for Recruiting Millennials
The latest forecast from ITR Economics is that the Industrial Production Index will peak in February and then slowly taper the rest of the year, dropping more sharply in 2019. In light of whats coming, ITRs Alan Beaulieu delivered an important message at the NIBA/PTDA Joint Industry Summit now, more than ever, is the time for strong leadership and investing in your business.

Subscribers should log-in below to read this article.

Not a subscriber? Subscribe below or learn more. Subscribers also have access to the following related articles:

  • Millennials in Distribution: Culture Trumps Everything
  • Endgame Strategy: A Must for Distributors
  • Commentary: Best Practices for Recruiting Millennials
As millennials compose more and more of the workforce, here are 10 tips for how distributors can better integrate the next generation into their companies, based on MDMs reporting over the last few years.

Subscribers should log-in below to read this article.

Not a subscriber? Subscribe below or learn more. Subscribers also have access to the following related articles:

  • Millennials in Distribution: Culture Trumps Everything
  • Endgame Strategy: A Must for Distributors
  • Commentary: Best Practices for Recruiting Millennials

The NIBA/PTDA 2017 Joint Industry Summit, held last month in Hollywood, FL, featured three keynote speakers sharing their experiences around inspiration, motivation and leadership.

This article includes:

  • Inspiration from John O’Leary
  • Motivation from Molly Fletcher
  • Leadership from Alan Beaulieu

Subscribers should log-in below to read this article.

Not a subscriber? Subscribe below or learn more. Subscribers also have access to the following related articles:

  • Millennials in Distribution: Culture Trumps Everything
  • Endgame Strategy: A Must for Distributors
  • Commentary: Best Practices for Recruiting Millennials
millennialsindistribution

Being intentional about culture can help with recruiting and retaining millennials, who today compose nearly half the company. This article examines the decision by Durham, NC-based ACR Supply, where nearly half the company is comprised of millennials, 20 years ago to focus on culture and how it evolved into a place where the next generation wanted to work.

This article includes:

  • Building culture in leadership’s image
  • Seeking ‘hungry, humble, smart’ employees
  • Making your workplace millennial-friendly

Subscribers should log-in below to read this article.

Not a subscriber? Subscribe below or learn more. Subscribers also have access to the following related articles:

  • Distribution M&A Playbook, pt. 3: Integration Best Practices
  • Grainger’s Pricing Initiative, pt 2: The Quest for Optimization
  • Commentary: Harvey’s Stark Reminder on Disaster Planning

Now that distribution’s next recruiting targets have begun their senior year of college, it’s time to ask if your company is doing enough to ensure they’ll come work for you upon graduating in the spring. This article introduces our new series of case studies on best practices to attract younger workers to your company – rather than your competitors.

Subscribers should log-in below to read this article.

Not a subscriber? Subscribe below or learn more. Subscribers also have access to the following related articles:

  • Distribution M&A Playbook, pt. 3: Integration Best Practices
  • Grainger’s Pricing Initiative, pt 2: The Quest for Optimization
  • Commentary: Harvey’s Stark Reminder on Disaster Planning
3-questions-pricing
Online giants continue to disrupt distribution, making effective pricing strategy more important than ever. In the recent MDM Webcast, What Distributors Need to Know about Pricing Disruption, Brent Grover, managing partner of Evergreen Consulting LLC, discussed how distributors can improve their approach to pricing in order to survive disruption.

This article includes:

  • Implementing your pricing strategy
  • Communicating your service strategy
  • Keeping the barbarians from crossing your moat

Subscribers should log-in below to read this article.

Not a subscriber? Subscribe below or learn more. Subscribers also have access to the following related articles:

  • Distribution M&A Playbook, pt. 3: Integration Best Practices
  • Grainger’s Pricing Initiative, pt 2: The Quest for Optimization
  • Commentary: Harvey’s Stark Reminder on Disaster Planning
Selling your business can be a difficult decision, but for owners who dont have an obvious successor, it can be the best option to preserve their legacy. In this article, an excerpt from Mergers and Acquisitions for Distributors: Expert Advice for Buyers and Sellers, available from NAW, Evergreen Consultings Brent Grover provides expert insight into this consideration.

This article includes:

  • Selling as an Exit Strategy
  • Thinking Beyond Family Succession
  • Monitoring the Value of the Business

Subscribers should log-in below to read this article.

Not a subscriber? Subscribe below or learn more. Subscribers also have access to the following related articles:

  • Distribution M&A Playbook, pt. 3: Integration Best Practices
  • Grainger’s Pricing Initiative, pt 2: The Quest for Optimization
  • Commentary: Harvey’s Stark Reminder on Disaster Planning

Due diligence is a critical piece of ensuring that an acquisition results in the value a distributor expects to gain from a transaction. If done wrong, an acquisition can affect everything an owner has built and can damage not only the financials but also the culture of a distribution business. In this article, Jay Greyson of Supply Chain Equity Partners discusses some of the most common mistakes distributors make with acquisitions.

This is an exclusive summary of the April episode of MDM Executive Briefing, The Distribution M&A Playbook, featuring Greyson. Watch now at www.mdm.com/executivebriefing-archive.

In the first couple of months of 2013, M&A transactions in the wholesale distribution industry accelerated ...

Sales and inventories data for wholesaler-distributors in September 2013.

This article includes:

  • Wholesale trade revenues for durable and nondurable goods in September 2013
  • Monthly inventories/sales ratio for the industry
  • Sales & inventory trends for durable and nondurable goods

Subscribers should log-in below to read this article.

Not a subscriber? Subscribe below or learn more. Subscribers also have access to the following articles:

  • The Extended Value Index
  • Distribution Profitability Case Study
  • Support a Differentiation Strategy

Modern Distribution Management's monthly Industrial Inflation Index measures a cross-section of industrial supplies.

This index includes:

  • Abrasives Products
  • Cutting Tools
  • Power Transmission Equipment
  • Fasteners
  • Valves, etc.
  • Power Tools
  • Material Handling Equipment
  • Belting
  • Hand Tools
  • Misc. Metal

Subscribers should log-in below to read this article.

Not a subscriber? Subscribe below or learn more. Subscribers also have access to the following related articles:

  • MDM 3Q13 Pricing Trends Report
  • MDM-Baird Distribution Survey: Slow but Steady Growth in Third Quarter
  • Data Security Risks Grow
auto-industry
The U.S. automotive industry hit bottom in 2009, with total light-vehicle sales falling to 10.4 million units the lowest level since 1982. Chrysler and GM filed for bankruptcy that year; Ford, while avoiding the courts, had to make its own cuts.

Today, the industry is nearing full recovery, albeit with some significant changes. This article examines the current state of the automotive industry in North America, how the recovery has affected suppliers and distributors serving the market and the outlook.

This article includes:

  • Distributors' perspectives on the auto industry collapse and recovery
  • Lessons learned
  • Outlook for the auto industry in North America

Subscribers should log-in below to read this article.

Not a subscriber? Subscribe below or learn more. Subscribers also have access to the following related articles:

  • Wallet Share, Demands Drive Acceleration in Channel Convergence
  • Third Quarter MDM-Baird Survey: Slow But Steady Growth
  • Wind Market Grows; Challenges Remain
People01
Business owners procrastinate when it comes to succession planning for many reasons, including uncertainty over potential successors and concerns about how affected family members and key employees will react. But these obstacles aren’t insurmountable, according to Lawrence Gold, corporate attorney for law firm Carlton Fields and author of Passing the Torch Without Getting Scorched: Preserving Your Legacy With Smart Succession Planning.

This interview includes Gold's take on:

  • Why management and ownership succession are different
  • Why it's hard for owners to prioritize succession planning
  • How to decide whether to pass the company to family

Subscribers should log-in below to read this article.

Not a subscriber? Subscribe below or learn more. Subscribers also have access to the following related articles:

  • MDM Interview: Avnet's Roy Vallee Reflects on Changes in the Industry
  • Succession Planning: What's Next?
  • Strategic Planning for Distributors
This article presents the findings of a two-year industry study looking at where distribution industry managers blunder and what they could do better.

This article by William McCleave includes analysis of:

  • Which characteristics cause managers to blunder most
  • The best and worth characteristics of managers
  • Where managers should focus for possible improvement

Subscribers should log-in below to access. Not a subscriber? Subscribe below and you'll also get access to the following related articles:

  • Protecting Your Knowledge Base
  • The Hiring Disconnect in Distribution
  • Re-evaluate the Human Capital in Your Company

For the recent special report on industrial vending, MDM's editorial team spoke with dozens of experts – from distributors providing the service to the people making the machines and the software.

We combed through our interviews to identify best practices in industrial vending. These have been compiled into a slide deck for easy scanning exclusively for our MDM Premium subscribers.

Log-in below to get 20 Best Practices for Vending Success.

This feature is an exclusive benefit for subscribers to MDM Premium. Not a subscriber? Subscribe today.

Investment Banking Directory

Work with a banking partner that knows your business. Get detailed information on investment banks with expertise in the wholesale distribution industry.

Featured Content

How to Drive Adoption for B2B Technology

Download this whitepaper to uncover the stories of two pioneering distribution businesses, illuminating the…

Business Model Innovation

Discover how leading distributors are inventing and transforming business models to delight customers, disrupt…

3 Ways Distributors Can Make Better Inventory Decisions

Discover how a leading distributor has revolutionized inventory policies and supply chain planning to…

SHIFT 2023 Playbook

As distribution leaders constantly seek educational resources on business transformation, technology optimization and talent…

Market Prospector

  • 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. 

Sign Up for the MDM Update Newsletter

Our daily newsletter is your best source for news and trends in the wholesale distribution industry.

Get the MDM Update Newsletter

Wholesale distribution news and trends delivered right to your inbox.

Sign-up for our free newsletter and get:

  • Up-to-date news in a quick-to-read format
  • Free access to webcasts, podcasts and live events
  • Exclusive whitepapers, research and reports
  • And more!

Register for full access

By providing your email, you agree to receive announcements from us and our partners for our newsletter, events, surveys, and partner resources per MDM Terms & Conditions. You can withdraw consent at any time.

Learn More about Custom Reports

Request a Market Prospector Demo

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.