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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.
2Q2017_MDM_Baird_Survey

Robert W. Baird & Co., in partnership with Modern Distribution Management, conducted a survey of more than 500 distributors and manufacturers to gauge business trends and the outlook for the distribution industry in diverse sectors. Here is a summary of second-quarter 2017 results and distributor and manufacturer expectations for third quarter and the rest of the year.

This article includes:

  • Second-quarter revenue & pricing trends for wholesale distribution
  • Revenue forecasts for third quarter & 2017
  • Sector-specific trends for 19 sectors
  • Inventory levels
  • Economic outlook for 2017

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. 1: Unlocking Shareholder Value
  • Tools to Capitalize on Internet of Things
  • Amazon Elevates ‘Right-Now’ Expectations

This report is researched and produced by MDM editors. View the First Quarter 2017 report here.

These product groups provide a snapshot of inflation trends based on the Producer Price Index from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Second quarter 2017 pricing levels are compared with first quarter 2017 and second quarter 2016.

To view this report, log-in and click on the download link below the product listing to access the print-ready PDF.

Not a subscriber? Subscribe today for immediate access.

Industrial

  • Abrasives
  • Adhesives & Sealants
  • Metal Cutting Machine Tools
  • Metal Forming Machine Tools
  • Pumps, Compressors, & Eqmt
  • Ind. Material Handling Eqmt
  • Rubber & Plastic Hose
  • Rubber & Plastic Belts & Belting
  • Ind. Rubber Products, nec
  • Metal Valves (not fluid power)
  • Personal Safety Equipment & Clothing
  • Steel Mill Products

Construction

  • Softwood Lumber
  • Hardwood Lumber
  • General Millwork
  • Gypsum Products
  • Hardboard, Particlebd, Fiberbd
  • Plywood
  • Plastic Construction Products
  • Wood Ties, Siding, Shingles,
  • Shakes

Electrical

  • Electrical Machinery & Eqmt
  • Electronic Components & Accs
  • Integrating and Measuring Instruments
  • Motors & Generators
  • Wiring Devices
  • Transformers & Power Regulators
  • Switchgear, Switchboard, etc., Eqmt
  • Communications & Related Eqmt
  • Electric Lamp Bulbs & Parts

Other Related Electrical

  • Lighting Fixtures
  • Nonferrous Wire & Cable
  • Fabricated Ferrous Wire & Cable

Power Transmission/Bearing

  • Mechanical Power Transmission Eqmt
  • Ball & Roller Bearings
  • Plain Bearings & Bushings
  • Speed Changers, Drives & Gears

Fluid Power

  • Fluid Power Eqmt
  • Fluid Power Valves
  • Fluid Power Hose/ Tube Fittings
  • Fluid Power Pumps & Parts
  • Fluid Power Actuators/ Accum/ Cylinders

Plastics

  • Plastic Resins & Materials
  • Plastic Products (Overall)

Fasteners

  • Nuts, Bolts, Screws, Rivets, Washers (overall)
  • Aircraft Fasteners
  • Externally Threaded Fasteners
  • Internally Threaded Fasteners
  • Nonthreaded Metal Fasteners

Hardware

  • Hardware (overall)
  • Builders’ Hardware

Tools

  • Hand & Edge Tools
  • Power-Driven Hand Tools
  • Tools, Dies, Jigs, Molds, Fixtures
  • Cutting Tools & Accs (overall)
  • Precision Measuring Tools
  • Small Cutting Tools

Gases/Welding

  • Industrial Gases
  • Welding Machinery/ Equipment

Paper

  • Pulp, Paper & Allied Products (overall)
  • Sanitary Paper Products
  • Boxes
  • Packaging Products from Plastic

HVACR/Plumbing

  • Air Cond. & Refrigeration Eqmt
  • Heating Eqmt
  • Plumbing Fixtures & Fittings

To view this report, log-in and click on Download pdf below the product listing.

MA-Playbook

Many distribution verticals are experiencing consolidation; those that haven’t are ripe for it. In Part 1 of this three-part series, author Mike Marks provides a look at what’s driving consolidation, as well as the rise of private equity firms in distribution M&A, which has transformed the market.

This article includes:

  • How consolidation unlocks significant value for final shareholders from three primary drivers
  • Rise of private equity
  • Shareholder value for distributors

Subscribers should log-in below to read this article.

This article is available for purchase as a special report.

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

  • Wholesale Distribution Disrupted, Part 2: Engage to Combat Disruption
  • Top Trends for 2017
  • ‘Digital Branch’ Strategy Drives AD eContent

Business owner confidence reached a post-recession zenith in the months following the 2016 presidential election. Unfortunately, the confidence that dominated headlines hasn’t resulted in any real economic improvement. To quote a recent New York Times article, “Confidence Boomed After the Election. The Economy Hasn’t.,” Trump’s economy during the first six months of 2017 “looks an awful lot like the Obama economy.” Slow, steady growth.

This article includes:

  • Does a dip in CEO Confidence mean the economy will follow suit?
  • Why your approach to business shouldn’t change with the news
  • The importance of working on your business vs. working 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:

  • Culture as a Competitive Advantage
  • Amazon Elevates ‘Right-Now’ Expectations
  • Data Redefines Channel Roles

Finding a culturally aligned partner in a merger or acquisition is as important as finding a deal that makes financial or geographic sense. This article shows why a distributor should examine its counterpart’s culture before engaging in M&A and how to measure it before inking the deal.

This article includes:

  • Culture ‘at least as important’
  •  How to quantify culture
  • Culture’s role in a smooth integration

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:

  • Culture as a Competitive Advantage
  • Amazon Elevates ‘Right-Now’ Expectations
  • Data Redefines Channel Roles

Implementing internet of things used to be a costly and confusing process. But as adoption of the technology grows, so do the options to ease the pains of implementation. This article examines some of the options available and how IoT is changing the role of the distributor in the supply chain.

This article includes:

  • New options lower the barriers to implementation
  • Tools for cost-effective implementation
  • Changing role of the distributor

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:

  • Culture as a Competitive Advantage
  • Amazon Elevates ‘Right-Now’ Expectations
  • Data Redefines Channel Roles
BigBox

This article is part of an ongoing series looking at The Shifting Competitive Landscape in wholesale distribution. Read this and other articles in the series at www.mdm.com/shiftinglandscape.

As big box retailers such as Staples, The Home Depot and Lowe’s have expanded their online presence and increased their focus on professional markets, some distributors are feeling the impact, not only on sales volume but on profitability as margins are squeezed and customer expectations shift. This article, featuring interviews with distributors, manufacturers and industry experts, takes a look at the effects of the retail channel on the competitive landscape in wholesale distribution.

Distributors in some sectors aren’t just competing with another independent down the street – they’re competing with big-box stores with billion-dollar brands and a different approach to the market. And for some distributors, that competition is growing.

“Big box’s arrival into the B-to-B world has fundamentally changed ...

3Q2013-mdm-baird-survey

Robert W. Baird & Co., in partnership with Modern Distribution Management, conducted a survey of more than 500 distributors and manufacturers to gauge business trends and the outlook for the distribution industry in diverse sectors. This article is a summary of third-quarter results and distributor and manufacturer expectations for 2013.

This article includes:

  • Third-quarter revenue & pricing trends for wholesale distribution
  • Revenue forecasts for fourth quarter & 2013
  • Sector-specific trends for 19 sectors
  • Inventory levels
  • Outlook for nonresidential construction in 2014

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:

  • Redefining Competitive Advantage
  • What's Your Business Worth?
  • Commentary: The Pain of Uncertainty


 

Distributors face many kinds of risk, including product liability claims, economic uncertainty, employee injuries, natural disasters and supply chain disruptions. By identifying potential scenarios, and ranking and planning for each of them, risk can be reduced and managed, Vernon Grose, author of Managing Risk: Systematic Loss Prevention for Executives and founder of Omega Systems Group Inc., tells Staff Writer Angela Poulson. Grose is a former member of the National Transportation Safety Board and a risk management aviation expert who has applied lessons from that work to help businesses and organizations.

This article includes:

  • Advice on how distributors should approach risk in their businesses
  • Details on the SMART (Systems Methodology Applied to Risk Termination) technique for managing risk
  • The importance of ranking risk
  • Common elements of risk that are often overlooked

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:

  • Data Security Risks Grow
  • Disaster Plans: 'No Single Point of Failure'
  • MDM Interview: Why Analytics is About People, Not IT


 

Many distributors struggle to effectively separate what should be stocked from what shouldn’t, according to Jon Schreibfeder, president of Effective Inventory Management Inc. But by ranking inventory by activity levels, cost of goods sold and profitability, distributors can determine when and whether to stock products.

This article, an exclusive summary of the recent MDM Webcast, Effectively Analyzing Your Inventory Investment. Access the webcast at www.mdm.com/inventory-investment, includes:

  • How to differentiate between "stock" and "stuff"
  • Evaluation of the right levels of the different types of stock
  • How to rank your products for effective management

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:

  • Inventory: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
  • Make Your Data Work to Grow Profitability
  • Case Study: Minimizing Surplus Inventory


 

Investment Banking Directory

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