This past month, I have been going through old boxes of work material and coming across some foundational material on customer segmentation and pricing that I used as a distributor. I found in the archives my personal pricing Encyclopedia Britannia (the Complex) and the Texas A&M Industrial Distribution Customer Stratification Model (the Simple) and it made me think … [Read more...] about The world of industrial customer segmentation in 2025
Lessons Industrial Distributors Can Learn from Wesco
In 2025, I have been writing a series of articles on Wesco for Modern Distribution Management. In the series I took a deep dive into Wesco's 3 key enterprise strategies “Extend our industry-leading scale and value proposition.” “Further develop our team and our culture of excellence.” “Digitalize and transform our B2B business.” Wesco Analysis, Pt. 3: Digitize … [Read more...] about Lessons Industrial Distributors Can Learn from Wesco
What does the IMARK/AD Merger for electrical mean for the Industrial Channel?
AD & IMARK Electrical Make the Merger Official: how does the new AD IESD impact the channel and is there any impact to HVACR Distributors? The news release that made it official called this a merger of equals to create AD Independent Electrical Supply Division (IESD) that represents 700+ independent electrical distributors with annual sales of over $43 Billion. Immediately … [Read more...] about What does the IMARK/AD Merger for electrical mean for the Industrial Channel?
Where is the channel headed in 2025 and beyond? Thoughts from MDM SHIFT
I was fortunate to once again be able to attend and present at the NAW/MDM SHIFT conference, and it is interesting to see how the construction and industrial channel continues to evolve. Modern Distribution Management (MDM) has been hosting this annual event for Distribution Leaders called SHIFT (originally MDM Sales GPS) for the last decade. Some of the best and … [Read more...] about Where is the channel headed in 2025 and beyond? Thoughts from MDM SHIFT
Inventory Planning Approaches for Industrial in 2025
As we enter the final 2 months of 2024, I am having many conversations with Industrial distributors and manufacturers about their into stock inventory positions. Industrial Channel growth rates have slowed from double digits % from April 2021 to April 2023 days and now are slightly down to at best flat (2023 vs 2024). Inflation and price increases have continued to climb … [Read more...] about Inventory Planning Approaches for Industrial in 2025
