This week, I was on calls with various Industrial Channel and Industrial Supply Association (ISA) leaders discussing the upcoming ISA Fall Summit in Memphis, TN, in early November. We were discussing the tracks, the speakers and presenters, and the takeaways for participants. In looking at the speakers and presenters, I was struck by the fact that 20 of the speakers across … [Read more...] about Fall is the season to get your Channel business ready for 2026
Distributor News
ISA Member Spotlight Series – Industrial Supply Company
As I was doing the research and interviews with Industrial Supply Company, and writing this profile, one famous quote kept popping in my head.... "Go West, young man, go West and grow up with the country." Horace Greeley. That "grow up with the country" phrase certainly applies to Industrial Supply Company. They are a great example of a Company founded in 1916 in Salt … [Read more...] about ISA Member Spotlight Series – Industrial Supply Company
ISA Member Earnings – Lawson Products (DSG)
ISA Member - Lawson Products is part of Distribution Solutions Group (DSG), so their results are shown as platform in the overall DSG earnings releases. Lawson showed moderate sales growth in the latest Q2 2025 Earnings Release. Distribution Solutions Group (DSG) – DSG, the specialty distribution company serving the MRO, OEM and industrial technologies markets, headquartered … [Read more...] about ISA Member Earnings – Lawson Products (DSG)
ISA Member Earnings – Kennametal Q4 2025 Results
Kennametal launched their fourth-quarter earnings report in August and the industrial waters have been choppy this year, but the size of the overall North American market creates opportunities for growth. Kennametal – Kennametal, headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, delivers productivity to customers through materials science, tooling and wear-resistant solutions for the … [Read more...] about ISA Member Earnings – Kennametal Q4 2025 Results
ISA Member Earnings – MSC Industrial Q3 2025
MSC Industrial launched their third-quarter earnings report in July and the industrial waters have ben choppy this year, but the size of the overall North American market creates opportunities for growth. MSC Industrial – a distributor of a broad range of metalworking and MRO products and services, reported third quarter financial results on July 1, showing a 0.8% … [Read more...] about ISA Member Earnings – MSC Industrial Q3 2025
IST Analysis – Grainger Q2 2025 Earnings Release
ISA Member and Industrial Leader Grainger released their Q2 Results on August 1st, which provided insight into their pricing actions and continued above market growth in their Endless Assortment business unit. At this years, ISA Fall Summit Gowri Natarajan - Director Procurement & Supplier Management at Grainger will be speaking at the event. Our Channel Marketing Group … [Read more...] about IST Analysis – Grainger Q2 2025 Earnings Release
Part 3 – Manufacturers and Distributors need to do better than a C+ on their report cards
Last week I was on a fun webcast where Mark Jackmore CEO of Precision, and I were diving into real-world examples of how manufacturers and distributors could use data more effectively to report progress and take meaningful action together to improve their business. We covered a lot of ground on the webcast, shared best practice examples, and tactical information on how you … [Read more...] about Part 3 – Manufacturers and Distributors need to do better than a C+ on their report cards
ISA Fall Summit is expanding content and tracks for the Industrial Channel
Late last week, the Industrial Supply Association sent out for the full details for the ISA Fall Summit November 3-5, 2025 in Memphis. The ISA Fall Summit has evolved over the years, and I am excited about this year's enhancements. The event still has it's bedrock programming for Emerging Leaders, Women in Industry, and the Veterans Empowerment Network of course, but … [Read more...] about ISA Fall Summit is expanding content and tracks for the Industrial Channel
Part 2 – Category Management is a big opportunity for Industrial Channel Leaders
Yesterday, I was on an 8:00 am Monday morning zoom calls with Industrial Supply Association (ISA) member Precision where Mark Jackmore and I were reviewing the content we are presenting on our webcast this week. Now, Monday morning 8AM zoom calls can be interesting, as the weekly coffee intake is just starting for everyone on the call, so I was interested to see where the … [Read more...] about Part 2 – Category Management is a big opportunity for Industrial Channel Leaders
Pentagon Pricing Series – Part 1 – Sell Side is everything
For the past number of months, David Gordon and I have been talking non-stop about pricing and have been busy helping many Industrial distributors and manufacturers with their “buy side” and “sell side” programs. As a former pricing leader for two of the largest distributors in North America, I have been remiss in writing as much as we should about buy-side and sell-side … [Read more...] about Pentagon Pricing Series – Part 1 – Sell Side is everything
