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
Insights
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
ISA Member Series – Martin Industrial Supply’s Long-term vision
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
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
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
Q2 2025 Pulse of Industrial Supply Survey is Now Open
2025 Q1 for Industrial Supply might have set a record for news impacting the channel that rivals the amount of change and uncertainty that was happening during COVID. The political winds from Washington, DC are also, to use a term have been...turbulent Tariffs on again, delayed, and semi-implemented having been affecting planning and causing uncertainty On, then off, then on, … [Read more...] about Q2 2025 Pulse of Industrial Supply Survey is Now Open
