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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.
1Q2017_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 first-quarter 2017 results and distributor and manufacturer expectations for the rest of the year.

This article includes:

  • First-quarter revenue & pricing trends for wholesale distribution
  • Revenue forecasts for second 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:

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

Can Grainger make it up on volume or is the distributor’s strategy the start of a race to the bottom on price?

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:

  • 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?

This report is researched and produced by MDM editors. View the Fourth Quarter and Annual 2016 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. First quarter 2017 pricing levels are compared with first quarter 2016 and fourth quarter 2016 with first quarter 2017.

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.

In this two-page report, available to download in PDF after log-in, we feature data on merger and acquisition trends and financial metrics for the largest publicly traded distributors across diverse sectors in the first quarter of 2017.

In partnership with Houlihan Lokey, an investment banking firm, the report includes data on M&A activity trends across all industries (not just distribution), as well as valuation multiples for deals in all industries.

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

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.

Cross-border M&A in wholesale distribution has accelerated in recent years, adding to an increasingly busy competitive landscape. The U.S. market continues to be attractive to Europe-based distributors seeking growth outside of their traditional markets. This article looks at this trend and the impact it has had on the market.

In recent years, Europe-based distributors have accelerated their expansion in the U.S. As a result, local and regional distributors are increasingly facing local competitors backed by resources they did not have access to previously.

“As Thomas Friedman says, the world is truly flat,” says Robert Stolz, who leads Wurth Group’s North American …

If there’s anything I’ve learned in my time covering the wholesale distribution industry, it’s that distributors hold one thing above all else: relationships. Even in the shifting competitive landscape, relationships have an important role in this industry.

Sure today’s distributor may look a lot different than distributorships of the past. Once-local businesses are being bought up by larger national or …

Principia Consulting’s Building Products Distribution 2012 study identifies the best growth opportunities in the sector through 2014 and provides strategies for value creation and competitive advantage.

Ken Jacobson, partner at Principia, spoke with MDM staff writer Angela Poulson about the study’s findings, including increased disintermediation and how distributors can stay competitive despite e-commerce’s role in accelerating this trend.

MDM: In Principia’s 2011 survey, 50 percent of building products distributors expected industry-wide growth of at least 5 percent in 2012. What are distributors’ expectations for 2013?

Ken Jacobson: It depends on the day of the week that you’re asking. It depends on the still-looming status …

Univar

A global business requires the flexibility to respond to regional needs while acting as a unified company – all in an effort to serve the customer. Associate Editor Jenel Stelton-Holtmeier spoke with Erik Fyrwald, president and CEO of Univar, about how the chemistry distributor builds on its global expertise while maintaining a focus on the differences in each of its markets.

This article includes:

  • The challenge of bringing global strategies into unique markets
  • The benefits of being owned by private equity
  • Growth opportunities for the distributor & why it is focused on fracking

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:

  • The Ongoing Shale Gas Opportunity
  • Interview: Redefining Competitive Advantage
  • Global Markets Are Not Just for Large Companies Anymore

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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