Earlier this month, I had a chance to sit down with David Ruggles from Martin Industrial Supply to discuss a wide range of topics. Where the Channel is headed today, how does Martin Industrial grow the in the short term and long term? As a private company that was willing to share some information, I appreciated the chance to have an on and off-the-record conversation on … [Read more...] about ISA Member Series – Martin Industrial Supply’s Long-term vision
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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
Haggard and Stocking – Built by the customer for the customer
Our latest member spotlight series, I had the chance to connect with Haggard & Stocking Industrial Supplies & Services, an Industrial Distribution leader that provides engineered solutions in Tooling, Abrasives, Safety, Material Handling, Fasteners, Vending, and more. I was intrigued by Haggard & Stocking as I was doing the research, as they appear to be a good … [Read more...] about Haggard and Stocking – Built by the customer for the customer
Interesting Conversation with ISA Member -Watson Gloves
Earlier this month, I did a channel presentation where we shared our direct distributor and end customer research for the Watson Gloves team at their 2025 AGM event. What struck David Gordon and I was how engaged the Watson team was, and the questions they had for us after the session were top- notch. That great meeting started an idea for us to highlight more ISA member … [Read more...] about Interesting Conversation with ISA Member -Watson Gloves
AI Update: How do you keep your Industrial teams in the loop
The news is full of how rapidly AI is evolving, with a spate of recent articles predicting mass layoffs and massive disruptions. Advances are certainly breathtaking – when OpenAI launched ChatGPT in November 2022, it added a million users in 5 days; in April 2025, it achieved this in one hour; and reportedly one-third of companies are using AI agents to automate and improve … [Read more...] about AI Update: How do you keep your Industrial teams in the loop
ISA Economic Forecasts unveil key data on two webcasts
One of the hardest things to keep on top of in the Industrial Channel is economic forecasts as a channel leader that are specific to your business. You can quick check the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), look at the price of Steel, Copper, and Oil....and try and stay up with the latest news. The challenge is there is very little specific to the Industrial Channel forecast … [Read more...] about ISA Economic Forecasts unveil key data on two webcasts
MDM’s Industrial Distributors Top 50 list had some big changes
Every Year, one of my favorite webcasts to participate in is the Modern Distribution Management (MDM) top distributor webinar where we announce the rankings for electrical and industrial channel with the MDM Team. MDM has been ranking the largest North American distributors across 20 different distribution sectors for many years. What makes it even more fun is that I get to … [Read more...] about MDM’s Industrial Distributors Top 50 list had some big changes
Global Industrial Update highlights core programs for growth
Last week on June 4, 2025, at the 45th Annual William Blair Growth Stock Conference: Global Industrial presented some interesting insights into their business and strategy. In these investor day presentations, you can get an excellent overview of an Industrial Channel Leader's strategy that is more in-depth than a normal earnings call, so they are fun to analyze. Global … [Read more...] about Global Industrial Update highlights core programs for growth
The Industrial Distributors Top 50 list has some big changes coming in the rankings
One of my favorite webcasts to participate in every year is the Modern Distribution Management (MDM) top distributor webinar in we announce the rankings for the largest North American distributors across 20 different distribution sectors. What makes it even more fun is that I get to work with MDM on the final rankings for the Top 50 Industrial Distributors list. *At Channel … [Read more...] about The Industrial Distributors Top 50 list has some big changes coming in the rankings
ISA ELCC Program Interview – Leadership for the Industrial Channel
At ISA 25, I had the opportunity to meet with a number of Industrial leaders involved in ISA programs. I was struck by the enthusiasm from members of the Industrial Supply Association's Emerging Leaders Channel Certification Program (ELCC) and thought it would be great to start interviewing channel leaders involved in the program. Kayla Jane McLaughlin from Surpless, Dunn … [Read more...] about ISA ELCC Program Interview – Leadership for the Industrial Channel
