Explore every episode of the podcast The MDM Podcast

As one of the most recognizable figures in industrial distribution, Mike DeCata joins to reflect on his career in the channel, of which the first 18 years were spent at General Electric and the last 10 at Lawson Products. We cover what he misses about day-to-day CEO life (and what he doesn't); the biggest changes in the industry in his tenure; what he's most proud of; and what he's keeping an eye on today.

Port operators and the union representing U.S. East and Gulf Coast dockworkers reached a tentative labor deal, but the underlying issues remain. Here, the MDM Editors and NAW's CEO share their perspectives and how distributors are navigating the situation.

With our marquee thought leadership event fresh in mind, MDM Editors Mike Hockett and Vesna Brajkovic debrief the messages, themes and anecdotes from the event that stood out to them and take a look forward to SHIFT 2025 next May.

During July, MDM published a three-part article series that profiled electrical distributor Wesco and its transformative strength. That series culminated with a more robust case study report that is now in the MDM Store. Here, the author of that series and case study, John Gunderson, joins to discuss key takeaways from his research into Wesco and what stood out to him.

1st Ayd Corp. continues to see success with its field-based sales model that centers on providing its staff with the tools and entrepreneurial freedom to pursue the earnings potential they desire. We chat with company President Tommy Schreiner on what that looks like for the 50-year-old, family-owned MRO and JanSan distributor, and what it takes for reps to thrive in that environment.

Safety equipment is an evolving product category that touches every distribution vertical. ISEA CEO Cam Mackey joins the MDM Podcast to take us through the safety standards and regulations that will inform future product demand.

You've seen our promotions for it, but here, MDM Editors Mike Hockett and Vesna Brajkovic break down the extensive value that this year's SHIFT conference provides; recap their biggest takeaways from the 2023 version; highlight our 2024 agenda items; and discuss why you should be there.

Wesco's "all things digital" leader Akash Khurana joins us to discuss what digital transformation has meant for the electrical distributor, which ramped up its initiatives on that front upon its 2020 landmark acquisition of Anixter. He also sheds light on Wesco's AI use and other recent investments.

Tom Gale and Mike Marks discuss the biggest challenges distributors face as they transition from a traditional outside-generalist sales process to a more adaptive digital-forward go-to-market model, with clearly-defined, team-based selling and service roles.

With our September SHIFT event rapidly approaching, McKinsey & Company Senior Partner Kevin Sachs stops by to preview the keynote he will co-present with fellow McKinsey Partner Victoria Bough. We also re-visit last year's keynote takeaways and what the firm sees as the top underlying factors driving wholesale distribution in the year ahead.

Many distributors have spent the past several years re-structuring, re-sizing and re-tooling their sales teams.

Here, Dorn Group's James Dorn and John Gunderson discuss how to optimize these refreshed sales teams and align them in a single direction toward high-level revenue performance.

New PVF distribution group Venturi Supply was formed in 2023 through the combination of six independent companies. CEO Michael DiMino stops by to discuss how the company has maintained those firms' independence while also fostering cohesiveness across the combined organization, and what the path forward looks like.

Ted Cowie retired at the end of May after four decades leading distribution and manufacturing sales teams, including at Motion, Safety Today and Barnes. He and Tom Gale examine how sales strategies evolved during his career, particularly during his 10+ years at Motion, and reflect on the relationships that made his time in the industry successful.

In advance of MDM's July 10 Virtual Sales Summit, Tom Gale, Tony Pericle and Nick Pericle dive into what high-performance distribution sales models look like in 2024 and the deeper challenges that sales reps face in the marketplace today. Their discussion covers changing roles and customer expectations and the ways in which technology, including AI, can help reps elevate their game.

Like for any distributor making frequent acquisitions and headcount additions, it takes a high degree of communication, strategic planning and integration coordination to ensure the train stays on the tracks. That’s just what Vermont-based Green Mountain Electric Supply has done, with about a dozen bolt-on deals made since 2021. Two of its executives stop by to share how the distributor has made it work and share the company’s story.

Artificial intelligence in distribution carries a combination of hype, hope, promise and peril. Long-time technology analyst Justin King, the Global Director and Analyst of the B2B eCommerce Association, helps cut through the noise to get more precise on the short- and long-term impact of how AI is being deployed in distribution. Hear real-world AI use cases from the industry and where he sees the technology going. 

AIS Industrial & Construction Supply is a single-location distributor, but its innovation in sales, marketing and eCommerce has outdone that of many larger industry counterparts. President & CEO Dale Hahs joins to discuss what AIS has been up to lately, what he's seen change in his 40 years with the company, and what he'd do differently in a career restart.

MRO supplies distributor Vallen has undergone major changes over the past few years, including its $350 million acquisition of Wesco Integrated Supply that closed April 1. But that deal is just the latest move. A former Sonepar subsidiary, Vallen became independent in 2022, has joined AD and NAW and was named ISA’s 2023 Innovator of the Year. CEO Chuck Delph stops by to discuss the company’s aggressive moves and the strategy behind them.

MDM brought a staff contingent to the Industrial Supply Association’s annual spring convention, ISA24, held April 15-17 in Charlotte. This compilation podcast features eight mini interviews Executive Editor Mike Hockett conducted at ISA24, gathering perspectives from ISA’s CEO, two distribution CEOs, three service providers and two college students. These attendees share their thoughts on the show, the business climate outlook, the biggest challenges facing the industrial supply channel, and more.

Wajax Corp. has significantly expanded its Industrial Parts unit during the Iggy Domagalski's first two years as CEO, and he stopped by to discuss key drivers for that business. We also touch on Wajax's ongoing ERP rollout and technology initiatives, the company's PPE enhancements, and the tailwinds and headwinds for fellow Canadian industrial distributors.

Distribution hasn't seen a deal the magnitude of Home Depot's pending $18.25 billion acquisition of SRS Distribution in quite some time — maybe ever. Mike Hockett and Craig Webb break down the key details of the combination, why it makes sense for Home Depot and why this was likely the long-term play for SRS all along.

Customers continue to work down inventory levels into 2024. James Dorn and John Gunderson outline action items for optimizing inventory levels – in partnership with suppliers – to stay nimble and gain share as competitors stumble on A and B items.

Industrial supplies distributor Mars Supply is celebrating 100 years in business throughout 2024, and it didn’t achieve that milestone by happenstance. The company’s President, Bob Mars, has been there for 47 of those years, giving him a wealth of perspective on what’s changed in the industry, and what hasn’t. We discuss Mars Supply’s history and what it’s up to today, how the company has eliminated hidden costs and why customers choose it over larger competitors.

All three parts of John Gunderson's November series on Fastenal's "big pivot" — which examined the distributor's decade-long transformation from a distributor dependent upon nationwide branches to one that emphasizes embedded customer service — ended up in MDM's 10 most-read free blogs of 2023. That makes it well worth further discussion. So, we invited Gunderson onto the Podcast for an even deeper dive on Fastenal and what's led to its current state of success.

The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors’ 2024 Executive Summit was its best-attended such event in years, and NAW’s content lineup was ready for it. This compilation podcast features mini interviews with four distributors, one consultant and two NAW executives on what their biggest takeaway was from the summit and their top initiatives for this year.

In the past two years, industrial rubber and fluid power products distributor Singer Industrial has sold off a business unit, rebranded and made over a dozen acquistiions alongside greenfield expansion. CEO Craig Osborne tells us how his company managed so many moving pieces. We also touch on distribution's labor situation, technology and AI, and what's on the horizon for Singer.

MDM posted 403 news items in 2023 involving distributors, or manufacturers that sell into distribution. That blew away 2022 and 2021. So, how much M&A runway is still left, and what’s driving it? We chat with Brown, Gibbons & Lang Managing Director Kevin Sargent on that, as well as why distribution M&A is running much hotter than the greater manufacturing sector.

Leadership has been a critical differentiator for how well a distribution firm has performed over the past three years of disruption. Leadership consultant, coach and author Alain Hunkins discusses the transition from old- to new-school leadership, employee-customer experience, and how to build an energized work culture.

NetPlus Alliance has served industrial distributors and suppliers as a buying group since 2002, but its roots date back nearly 200 years. Its Owner, President and CEO, Jennifer Murphy joins to discuss how that history has shaped the group and the role that buying groups play in distribution today. She had great perspective on the state of diversity throughout the industry supply space and why it continues to serve the channel well.

The conversation also touched on the value of Women in Industry groups, what NetPlus has been up to lately and what Murphy is hearing from members for their 2024 outlook.

Time for a check-up on the state of the industry as 2023 ends. Mike Marks and Tom Gale review the shifts – seismic and otherwise – that have shaped the competitive landscape across the dimensions of sales channels, digital, data analytics and culture.

BradyIFS and Envoy Solutions are behind much of the consolidation in distribution's JanSan, foodservice and packaging supplies verticals, and they took it to another level with their landmark merger at the end of October.

Chairman and CEO Ken Sweder joins to discuss the strategy behind that deal and its moving pieces, and why the combined company has no plans of slowing down its expansion. The conversation also touched on the demand outlook for those markets that the distributor serves.

In just a dozen years, Kodiak Building Partners has gone from inception to No. 11 on MDM's Top Building Materials Distributors List, acquiring over distribution 100 locations along the way and now has over 6,000 employees. CEO Steve Swinney details how enabling local autonomy has been crucial in the company's growth strategy.

The relative importance customers assign to the equation of price, availability and support has shifted in Q3, with important implications for distributors. And now digital is in the mix. James Dorn summarizes Dorn Group’s latest survey results with some surprising insights. 

Amazon Business surpassed $35 billion in annualized sales in early 2023, and it has plenty of further expansion on its mind. The marketplace’s worldwide director, Todd Heimes, joins us to discuss how Amazon Business is constantly innovating to cater to today’s B2B buyer, and why it sees immense opportunity ahead.

It’s strategy season, and even optimistic predictions are for flattish overall industry growth in 2024. Mike Marks and Tom Gale talk through the bottom-line impact of focus in dealing with whatever form your big gorilla(s) looks like.

As distributors transform business models to stay competitive and close to customers, innovation has become a critical differentiator. NAW Chief Innovation Officer Bart Tessel and Applico CEO Alex Moazed share thoughts on where innovation is today in distribution, and where it’s headed.

In this continuing series on executing a Profitability Playbook, James Dorn outlines ways to leverage manufacturer incentives, create strategic tiered suppliers at a product category level, and capture every single dollar available before year end. 

Mike Marks and Tom Gale discuss the data points from Q3 and what the front lines in distribution are saying about how the fourth quarter of 2023 is shaping. Plus five proactive things distributors can do now to grow faster than the single-digit growth forecast for 2024. 

With softening demand trends going into Q4, my conversation with James Dorn of Dorn Group busts the myths of not being able to grow both top-line revenue and margin in challenging market conditions. Deeper customer-product segmentation and full leverage of your internal and external data resources are key to winning share today. 

In a debrief on core themes from MDM’s 2023 SHIFT conference, Mike Marks and Tom Gale talk about a clearer vision for the future of distribution emerging, the transformation levers to get there, getting traction with AI, and more. 

Michael Knight became CEO of Wisconsin-based Endries International in late 2022 after a long tenure with an electronic components distributor. 

He joins the podcast to discuss his first year leading the fast-growing OEM fasteners supplier and that career market pivot, his thoughts on AI ethics, the power of coaching your staff and why we can expect to hear a lot more out of Endries in the near future.

This conversation between Dorn Group President & CEO James Dorn and MDM CEO Tom Gale centers on how data analytics will prove crucial to distributors’ profitability in the year ahead, as the inflation tide that lifted all boats has now left. Here are the elements of a distributor profitability playbook.

The notion of "no one wants to work anymore" persists amid today's challenging labor pool in distribution, but Dr. Donte Vaughn - an expert in organizational leadership - says that's a major misconception alongside "The Great Resignation". He joins the podcast to discuss the state of culture today in industrial organizations, and how to bridge gaps between leadership and front-line workers.

Research lead Kevin Reid-Morris and Tom Gale discuss the insights, surprises and hopes for AI this 2023 research into artificial intelligence surfaced. We also map out five behaviors and supporting building blocks for distributor AI success, with comments from our research partners. 

STAFDA Chief Executive Georgia Foley stops by to discuss the association's new educational initiative, the state of industry demand how it's being impacted by U.S. Infrastructure Bill rollout and factory building boom, as well as a preview of the group's annual convention in early November.

With budgets and operational planning already eyeing the year ahead, Mike Marks and Tom Gale explore where distributors have the most leverage, and where their common gaps are.

What can we learn from distributors that have achieved a higher EBITDA multiple value on a sustained basis? McKinsey partner Kevin Sachs shares a preview of his team’s keynote at SHIFT 2023 on the differentiators of those who are convincing shareholders they are growing revenue faster, expanding profit margins and improving the efficiency in which they leverage their capital base.

The post-2020 era has seen distributors make enormous strides in technology adoption and application across their organization. Hisco VP of IT Ana Bennett - one of MDM's upcoming SHIFT conference speakers - joins Tom Gale for a conversation about the evolving role of technology and where it's headed.

Speed wins in distribution. The ability to recognize and respond to threats and opportunities defines winners. Mike Marks talks about culture as the critical differentiator in periods of uncertainty, and the industry transition from traditional command-and-control leadership.

While distributors are proud of the culture they've crafted, far less discussed in that topic is mental health. This episode joins The Granite Group's Tracie Sponenberg and mental-health-at-work specialist Melissa Doman as they explore why mental health is a critical business conversation, how this industry can address growing mental health expectations and the benefits that can result.