Recently, I was introduced to an Industrial Supply Association (ISA) member Precision that intrigued and piqued my curiosity. Their firm works closely on Category Management teams on programs and issues, and that got me thinking about that crucial side of the business in detail. As a former Category Management leader for a few billion-dollar distributors that got my … [Read more...] about Category Management is a big word and a big opportunity for Industrial Channel Leaders
Insights
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
Keeping Your Staff Focused on the Core Issues to Drive Profitable Growth
Sometimes a conversation or an article from an author catches your eye. As we were reading some articles from Dr. Jeffrey Magee we thought it would be interesting to share an article from Dr. Magee to our Industrial Supply Trends readers on his sales perspectives. Dr. Magee is well known speaker and author of more than 30+ books and has been involved in the distribution … [Read more...] about Keeping Your Staff Focused on the Core Issues to Drive Profitable 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
Earnings Update – Kennametal and Lawson Products
Analysis on the recent earnings releases from ISA Members Kennametal and Distribution Solutions Group (ISA member Lawson Products is part of Distribution Solutions Group). Kevin Coleman - Channel Marketing Group Trends Analyst tracks the leading Industrial Manufacturers and Distributors in the space for Industrial Supply Trends and had an overview below on two ISA members … [Read more...] about Earnings Update – Kennametal and Lawson Products
MDM-NAW Shift highlights Data Analytics the key to market share growth
Modern Distribution Management (MDM) Shift event was held last week (May 13-15th in Englewood, Colorado). The event has continued to evolve over the past 9 years, and it was once again attended by who's who of distribution leaders. As an attendee and speaker, it has been fun to watch the event grow. Many leading distributors also presented at MDM Shift ranging from large … [Read more...] about MDM-NAW Shift highlights Data Analytics the key to market share growth
Grainger – Stanley Black and Decker – WESCO Q1 Earnings from 3 publicly traded ISA members – IST analysis
This past week plus three publicly traded Industrial Supply Association Members shared quarterly earnings, and we wanted to share the quick highlights on the releases from Grainger, Stanley Black and Decker and WESCO. Grainger Q1 2025 Earnings Grainger announced 1Q25 earnings on May 1, 2025 of sales of $4.3 billion, up 1.7%, or 4.4% on a daily, constant currency … [Read more...] about Grainger – Stanley Black and Decker – WESCO Q1 Earnings from 3 publicly traded ISA members – IST analysis
Beating the Industrial Distribution Competition with Speed
Recently I saw information promoted by a company called Mydatafactory as I saw ad advertorial written by them that intrigued me as it spoke to how industrial distribution could compete more effectively. Rarely do you see software companies that understand distributor issues. They typically understand the issue solely from the perspective of how their tool can help distributors. … [Read more...] about Beating the Industrial Distribution Competition with Speed
