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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.

The sector snapshots are part of MDM's 2017 Distribution Trends Special Issue. The sector snapshots provide a quick look at key trends affecting each of the 15 distribution sectors included in MDM's Market Leaders lists.

Snapshots are provided for the following sectors: Industrial, Electrical, Power Transmission & Bearing, HVACR & Plumbing, Building Materials & Construction, Electronics, Fasteners, Fluid Power, Gases & Welding Equipment, Hose & Accessories, Industrial PVF, Jan-San, Pharmaceuticals, Plastics and Safety.

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Not a subscriber? Subscribe below or learn more. The full 2017 Distribution Trends Special Issue is available to download in PDF format to MDM Premium subscribers.

The merger and acquisition market has cooled a bit since 2015. But it remains strong and is forecasted to flourish in 2017 as private equity looks to deploy capital and strategic buyers look to buy growth in improving conditions. This article looks at the current M&A market in distribution and what’s on tap for the rest of the year.

This article includes:

  • M&A performance
  • What's dragging down market volume?
  • What could alter M&A’s path in 2017

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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

Earlier this month, W.W. Grainger launched a new website, Gamut.com. It’s a natural waypoint on their digital transformation journey. It also illustrates challenges to traditional business models – and Grainger is not getting a hall pass on this one!

This article includes:

  • Gamut.com's strategy
  • How to target a niche market
  • Grainger's vulnerability

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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

Safety rules are only effective if they’re enforced before a workplace incident. This article provides tips for creating and enforcing effective safety rules in your workplace, as well as how to get buy-in from your employees on the new approach. 

This article includes:

  • Policy vs. Rule
  • Enforcement
  • Common Targets for Rules

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

  • Grainger’s Pricing Solution
  • E-Commerce Inches Toward Maturity
  • Build Revenue with Existing Customers

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

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

  • MDM Pricing Trends Report: First Quarter 2017
  • How to Navigate Key HR Issues in 2017
  • Market Snapshot: Cutting Tools Market Demand in the United States

Disruptive forces will likely have a transformative effect on wholesale distribution. In our previous two articles, we assessed the financial performance of the wholesale distribution industry and an array of disruptive forces already impacting participants. We also introduced a framework for harnessing these disruptions and the capabilities distributors will need to develop to successfully navigate the current industry inflection point. In this article, the third in the series, we discuss the final two parts of the framework: executing the value chain and energizing the business.

This article includes:

  • How distributors of the future will execute the value chain
  • Harnessing innovation to create new value
  • Energizing the business with analytics and IT

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  • Top Trends for 2017
  • Why Field Sales Must Evolve: The Gorilla in the Room
  • MDM-Baird Distribution Survey: Revenues Slump; Enthusiasm Rules

Change can be difficult; that’s not new. But the pace of change over the last three decades has increased dramatically, creating even more need to approach it critically. Steve Samek, author of the first Facing the Forces of Change study for NAW, recently spoke with Editor Jenel Stelton-Holtmeier & Evergreen Consulting’s Brent Grover about what has changed around innovation for the distribution industry since that first study in 1983 and how to adapt your business for success.

This article includes:

  • Innovation vs. execution
  • Six reasons for strategy failure
  • The folly of fast following

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

  • Grainger’s Pricing Solution
  • E-Commerce Inches Toward Maturity
  • Build Revenue with Existing Customers

It’s hard to count how many times in the past year I’ve heard from distributors about their use of customer relationship management: “We’re getting closer to making a decision on what platform to use and how we implement it.” 20 years later and Peg Fisher's summary still rings true. “Many distributors have a wealth of untapped sales potential in their existing base of customers, a virtual gold mine of sales opportunity, but they don’t have an efficient and cost-effective method in place to go after that potential.”

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  • Wholesale Distribution Disrupted
  • Small Manufacturers Focus on Tactical Applications for Tech
  • IoT Poised to Alter Supply Chain

Is the distributor’s strategy the start of a race to the bottom on price?

Avnet recently launched a rebranding campaign with a new logo, color scheme, website and tagline – “Reach Further” – with the goal of creating a unified message that “symbolizes growth and possibility.” Associate Editor Eric Smith spoke with Avnet CEO Bill Amelio about how the rebranding campaign aligns with the company’s recent moves and industry trends.

This article includes:

  • An overview of Avnet's rebranding campaign
  • How the company is adapting and innovating as technology changes
  • The future of the electronics industry

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

  • The Evolving Role of Master Distributors
  • A Growing Competitive Threat
  • MDM Interview: Winsupply’s Winning Formula

The MDM Market Snapshot, based on data from MDM Analytics, includes market demand for Electric wire and cable in the U.S., plus the top end users by 6-digit NAICS.

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

  • Use Tech to Work Smarter, Not Harder
  • Market Snapshot: Cutting Tools Market Demand in the U.S.
  • MDM Pricing Trends Report: Fourth Quarter 2016

In February, MSC Industrial Direct Co. (NYSE: MSM) announced plans to buy Barnes Distribution North America, which has a footprint throughout the U.S. and Canada. This article takes a look at the impact of the deal, both on the individual companies and on the industrial distribution landscape.

MRO distributor MSC Industrial Direct Co. Inc., Melville, NY, has agreed to acquire the North American distribution business of the Barnes Group Inc., for $550 million. The acquisition, which is expected to close in late March or early April, will add fasteners and other high-margin consumable products and services to MSC’s portfolio. MSC also gains Barnes’ vendor managed inventory solution.

The deal does not include the Associated Spring Raymond portion of Barnes Distribution North America.

The transaction will contribute to MSC’s goal of reaching $4 billion in revenues by 2016, according to MSC President and CEO Erik Gershwind.

Deal Drivers
“Barnes Distribution North America brings to MSC a complete vendor-managed inventory solution, which strengthens MSC’s value proposition to its customer base,” says Tom Lange, managing director and head of Robert W. Baird & Co.’s Distribution Group, which advised Barnes Group on the divestiture.

“Second, Barnes Distribution and MSC have ...

Business intelligence does not necessarily translate into executive intelligence, and often the gap between the two is large, according to Indian River Consulting Group’s Mike Marks. Marks recently spoke about that “reality gap” and how to overcome it in a recent MDM Webcast, The Link Between Business Intelligence and Profitability, available at mdm.com/business-intelligence.

When it comes to distribution technologies, a lot of attention is frequently paid to the latest and greatest, such as e-commerce and mobile.

While these may pay off for distributors in the long run, the most immediate return on investment may come from technologies that have been around for a while – solutions that help distributors profit from the data already in their systems. Still, business intelligence does not necessarily translate...

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.

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