2026 Q1 Pulse of Industrial Supply Survey
Last year we launched our Pulse of Industrial Supply survey, and subsequent report, to democratize information and provide distributors, reps, and manufacturers free marketplace information. The research, sponsored by William Blair, asks you to share quarterly performance and outlook, by key product category (if applicable) and key market segments (again, if applicable,) 2026 Q1 Pulse of Industrial Supply Survey…
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AI for HR
How AI Can Transform HR for Industrial Distributors The Bottom Line: People are a distributor’s largest asset — and AI can now automate the HR…
Distribution Sales Managers: What Top-Performing Sales Teams — And How Leaders Create It
If you lead a sales team for an industrial supply distributor, you already know the pressure. Margins are tight. Competition is aggressive. The number of…
Manufacturers … “Why You?”
For manufacturers, getting your message through the channel, let alone to end-users, can be a challenge. Most are conditioned (could be trained, sometimes it’s historical…
The Friction Gap: Why the Industrial Buyer Journey Has Stalled
Sales cycles are getting longer. Win rates against ‘no decision’ are climbing. The instinct is to blame the buyer for going dark, but the real…
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Manufacturers … “Why You?”
For manufacturers, getting your message through the channel, let alone to end-users, can be a challenge. Most are conditioned (could be trained, sometimes it’s historical repetition) to promote features and benefits. And it is always the latest products (which is interesting given that, while they track NPI … the percentage of business driven by new product introductions … there are…
The Friction Gap: Why the Industrial Buyer Journey Has Stalled
Sales cycles are getting longer. Win rates against ‘no decision’ are climbing. The instinct is to blame the buyer for going dark, but the real issue is that the industrial buyer journey has evolved past the channel’s ability to support it. Craig Martin is President of C3 Team, a strategy and marketing agency that works with industrial manufacturers on growth,…
Stanley Black Decker Earnings: Margins Up, But Volume Softness Raises Channel Questions
What Stanley Black Decker Earnings Tell Us About Channel Demand The latest Stanley Black Decker earnings tell a split story. Margins are improving, but the volume underneath is soft, and the gains are coming from pricing and cost structure rather than demand. For distributors and contractors who sell, stock, and rely on DeWalt, Craftsman, and Stanley products every day, that distinction matters. It…
Eaton Q4 2025 Earnings: What Distributors Should Know
What Eaton Q4 2025 Earnings Signal for Industrial Distributors Eaton Q4 2025 earnings delivered record numbers, but the real story for the industrial channel sits underneath the headline. Data center demand is reshaping where Eaton invests, how it allocates capacity, and which segments get priority. For distributors and reps carrying Eaton products, the implications go beyond a strong quarter. The company is making…
MSC Industrial Revenue Growth Hits 4% as New CEO Takes the Helm
MSC Industrial revenue growth of 4% in Q1 2026 looks healthy on the surface, but the details underneath tell a more nuanced story. The distributor, one of the largest metalworking and MRO suppliers in North America, reported results on January 7 that beat earnings expectations while simultaneously raising questions about demand fundamentals. For industrial distributors and channel partners watching the broader market,…
Why Your Industry 4.0 ROI Remains Elusive
The Execution Edge:Building an Industry 4.0 Model That Actually Delivers Craig Martin, C3 Team President The promise of Industry 4.0 ROI has been dangled in front of manufacturers and distributors for over a decade as the “Great Equalizer” for manufacturing and distribution. The promise was clear: invest in IoT, AI, and Big Data, and you will unlock unprecedented levels of…
Fastenal Q4 Earnings: Growth Surges, Margins Slip
Fastenal closed out 2025 with accelerating momentum, posting double-digit sales growth in Q4 while navigating margin headwinds tied to its large-account strategy. The Fastenal Q4 earnings report, released January 20, showed quarterly revenue up 11.1% year-over-year to $2.03 billion. But the numbers also revealed the tradeoffs embedded in the company’s growth model: gross margin fell 50 basis points to 44.3%, driven by…
Visual Workplace Doubles Revenue with Forward Solutions’ Multi-Channel Transformation
ALPHARETTA, Ga., Jan. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Forward Solutions today released a new case study showcasing how embracing a multi-channel sales and marketing strategy can deliver breakthrough growth for industrial manufacturers. With business buyers now expecting a seamless experience across distributor, direct, and digital channels, many mid-market manufacturers are rethinking their single-channel approach. The featured case study highlights Visual…
