Every distributor has seen it: return shelves overflowing with parts that came back from a customer, parts that never sold, and parts that are technically inventory but functionally furniture. Returns are the sleeper line item for industrial distributors (and even manufacturers!) They don't show up in the sales meeting. They show up in the margin — months later, wearing a … [Read more...] about The Hidden Tax of Returns: How Industrial Distributors Turn Dead Stock into Cash
Industry Insights
Can eCommerce Help Your Silver Tsunami?
Noted B2B eCommerce guru Jason Greenwood on his THE ECOMMERCE EDGE (which, if you are in senior management, sales leadership, marketing, or eCommerce you should subscribe) recently wrote about "the silver tsunami" and the opportunity, and role, for eCommerce ... and AI. We've all seen the number of people retiring from the industry. We all look around at conferences and see … [Read more...] about Can eCommerce Help Your Silver Tsunami?
Fastenal’s May Outperforms. The Market?
Last month Fastenal reported sales of $751.5 million, putting them on track for around $9 billion (or slightly more at their growth rate) at the end of the year. May’s corporate sales were up nearly 15%. Looking at it from customer market perspective: From a customer base perspective, sales to OEM customers were up 16% and MRO sales increased 14.5%. Fastenal … [Read more...] about Fastenal’s May Outperforms. The Market?
TUG Connects: More Than an Infor Conference
June 3, 2026 by David Gordon Leave a Comment Infor is one of the most prominent ERP systems serving the Industrial supply market. Last month their users' group, TUG, which is independently run, held their annual event. If your company operates on the Infor platform, this is where your IT and sales operations group (as well as others depending upon the … [Read more...] about TUG Connects: More Than an Infor Conference
Sales Incentives Drive 2026 Goal Achievement
We're almost 50% of the way through the year. Are you almost 50% towards your 2026 sales and profitability goals? If not, now is the time for a quick review. While there may be customer-specific issues, one of the areas that requires a tough self-reflection is asking "is our salesforce performing the way we want them to?" Everyone hems and haws because the reality is some … [Read more...] about Sales Incentives Drive 2026 Goal Achievement
Wesco’s $3 Billion MRO Secret: Why the Electrical Giant Probably Attended ISA26
How one of America's most underestimated MROP players used ISA26 to build supplier alliances, potentially scout acquisitions, and stake its claim as a top-five industrial distributor — and why the rest of the channel should be paying close attention. When Wesco walked into the Huntington Convention Center for ISA26, a few people in the exhibit hall may have done a … [Read more...] about Wesco’s $3 Billion MRO Secret: Why the Electrical Giant Probably Attended ISA26
Stop the SPA Leak: Don’t Let Margin Slips Away – Free Webinar
Scott Sinning from MarginMax Partners has been sharing ideas to help industrial supply distributors improve their profitability this year with his articles on plugging leaks, using SPAs, and more. Now he's offering a webinar on SPAs next week. The Cost of a Broken SPA If you are involved in sales management, purchasing, finance, SPA administration or have anything to … [Read more...] about Stop the SPA Leak: Don’t Let Margin Slips Away – Free Webinar
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 … [Read more...] about Why Your Industry 4.0 ROI Remains Elusive
2025 Q3 Pulse of Industrial Supply Report
Over the past few weeks, we’ve been sharing quarterly reports from distributors and manufacturers in the industrial supply space. For the most part the earnings, topline and bottom line, have been good / met expectations. The drivers – industrial market performance and tariffs, especially since tariffs increase pricing, so, sales dollar volume inevitably goes up. Here’s … [Read more...] about 2025 Q3 Pulse of Industrial Supply Report
ISA Fall Summit in Memphis Recap
Yesterday, we wrapped up a fun and productive Fall Summit in Memphis, TN. The weather was perfect, Beale Street was awesome, and staying at the Peabody Hotel with their famous ducks was like going back in time with all the history that surrounded you. I was writing this column that going "back in time" thought was top of mind. For many of us in the channel the rapid rate of … [Read more...] about ISA Fall Summit in Memphis Recap
