Driven by DCKAP

What does it take to build a $5 billion employee-owned company? For Border States President and CEO Jason Seger, the answer starts with one simple principle: care for people first. In this episode of Driven by DCKAP, Karthik sits down with Jason in Fargo, North Dakota to unpack the servant leadership philosophy behind one of the most unique companies in electrical distribution. From his early days...

In this episode, Karthik sits down with David Gordon to unpack the state of the electrical distribution industry — from data center growth and reshoring manufacturing to the business growth strategies helping distributors go from $25M to $75M in four years. He shares why people will always be the number one differentiator in distribution, why it's important to focus on customer relations above...

What does it take to lead a 100-year-old family business — and set it up for the next 100? Brian Schlise, President of APR Supply, joins Karthik Chidambaram on the podcast to share how a fourth-generation wholesale distribution company is embracing automation, succession planning, and bold leadership to stay ahead. Brian breaks down how APR Supply automated 50% of their warehouse operations with A...

Adam Derry, President of Field Fastener, grew up watching his father and uncle build a 12-person fastener company into a 400-person operation growing at 18% year over year. He wasn't sure he'd join. He did anyway — and in 2022, he stepped into the role of President. In this episode, Karthik Chidambaram sits down with Adam to talk about the real mechanics behind Field's growth: a cultur...

Why would a successful CEO choose an ESOP over private equity? In this episode of Driven by DCKAP, JD Ewing — CEO of COE Distributing — shares why he chose an employee ownership model over a private equity exit, and what that decision means for the future of his business and profitability. But the ESOP decision is only part of the story. JD took over his family's wholesale distribution business at...

What does it really mean to build a company that matters? In this special behind-the-scenes episode, DCKAP Founder and CEO Karthik Chidambaram steps away from the conference floor to share what actually drives him — and the heart behind everything DCKAP does. From handwriting letters in Tamil every Sunday to keep his mother tongue alive, to turning an empty office into a tuition-free coding school...

Most family-owned distributors don't make it to the fourth generation. Standard Electric Supply has, and Larry Stern and Matt Stern share exactly how. From untangling a complicated 17-owner inheritance structure to navigating daily acquisition offers from private equity and large consolidators, Larry has spent over three decades building something worth handing down. Now, with Matt stepping in...

Most distributors aren't failing at AI because of the technology — they're failing because of the people. Rick Pozniak, Founder & CEO of Move78 Solutions, spent over 30 years inside distribution at Rexel, Westburne, and Gescan before launching a consulting firm dedicated to closing the gap between humans and artificial intelligence. In this episode, Rick breaks down why reskilling, rat...

Before most distributors had even heard the word ecommerce, Paul Gatens was already building it. Now, as Vice President of Global Sales at ECI Software Solutions — Paul brings a rare, ground-level perspective on why electrical, plumbing, and HVAC distributors are still having the same conversations about ecommerce adoption that the office products industry was having 20 years ago. In this episode,...

What does the future of electrical distribution look like — and how can distributors of every size prepare? In this episode, Karthik Chidambaram sits down with Paul Kennedy, President & CEO of DSG and current Board Chair of NAED. They dig into the data center boom driving demand through 2045, why speed of delivery is now more critical than price, and how artificial intelligence is reshaping ev...

How does a 103-year-old packaging distributor double its revenue to $1 billion in just four years? In this episode of Driven by DCKAP, Rob Onorato, CEO of Shorr Packaging, reveals the strategic decisions and leadership philosophy that transformed the company from a $450 million regional player into a billion-dollar national distributor. Rob shares the secret behind his first-year strategy with the...

Discover how Grainger, one of the world's largest industrial distributors, built competitive advantage with data infrastructure. In this episode of Driven by DCKAP, Brian Walker, Chief Product Officer, reveals how Grainger transformed from 50% branch-based operations to over 90% digital business through strategic investments in custom software, data modeling, and AI implementation. Learn about...

As 2025 comes to a close, join our host Karthik Chidambaram for a special year-end reflection on the Driven by DCKAP podcast. In this episode, Karthik looks back at the incredible conversations we've had this year—the insights shared by our guests, the lessons learned along the way, and some of the moments that made this season truly memorable. A Milestone to Celebrate - We're thrilled to...

What's the difference between a public servant and a politician? Former Border States CEO and North Dakota Lieutenant Governor Tammy Miller doesn't hold back in this raw conversation about leadership, loss, and what really matters. From running a major electrical distribution company for nearly 30 years to losing a governor's race while her sister battled cancer, Tammy shares the ungla...

From working on a dairy farm at age 10 to leading a major distribution company, Paul Kennedy's path to the C-suite is anything but typical. In this episode of the Driven by DCKAP podcast, Paul shares how he went from Navy intelligence analyst to plumber to President & CEO of DSG—all without a college degree. His secret? Curiosity, surrounding himself with people smarter than him, and being...

Discover how AI-powered sales automation is transforming the distribution industry! In this episode, Justin Johnson, founder of Motivate, shares how distributors can free up 50%+ of their inside sales teams' time through intelligent order and quote automation. Watch to understand more about AI-assisted orders, multi-channel ordering via text, e-commerce drag-and-drop technology that actually w...

Is AI just another buzzword in the ERP world, or is there real value for manufacturers and distributors? In this episode, Brad Feakes, President and Partner at Estes Group, shares 20 years of hard-earned insights about what AI really means for ERP systems—and why most companies are thinking about it wrong. Estes Group is a leading provider of ERP consulting, IT, and cloud managed services based in...

Our guest on this episode is Carolyn Hunt, an independent consultant specializing in Epicor Prophet 21 implementation with over 50 years of experience in industrial distribution. She sits down with Karthik to share her unique perspective on how the distribution industry evolved from manual processes to embracing modern ERP systems, third-party integrations, and AI technology. Learn how Prophet 21...

New employees often have high expectations for office technology, but many companies struggle to meet those expectations. It's crucial to maintain those expectations in the workplace, not lower them just because it's "business tech". In this not-to-miss episode, Stephan Fulop, Chief Product & Technology Officer at DSG, highlights the challenges of information technology in cr...

Our recent guest, Pete Chrobak, is the Chief Financial Officer at Duncan-Parnell. In this conversation with Karthik Chidambaram, he shares strategic insights about Duncan-Parnell, from its origins to its pathway to the future. From his background to his approach to managing finances, we hear why his role is more than just about money. They talk about how the company focuses on maintaining a health...

Many technology companies are continuing to discuss artificial intelligence, but are they missing the practical applications? In this episode, Frank Heenan emphasizes the need to understand real-world use cases for manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. In many cases, it calls for ERP systems to become more condensed and useful, focusing on actual job functions and machine learning. Tune in t...

In this episode of the Driven by DCKAP podcast, our guest is David Bauders, the CEO of SPARXIQ and Trade Hounds. In this conversation with Karthik Chidambaram, Bauders explains how SPARXIQ, a pioneer in price optimization since 1993, helps manufacturers and distributors capture value by analyzing transactional data to understand price sensitivity and optimize profitability. He also delves into Tra...

In this interview, Karthik sits down with Cole Mercier from DSG to uncover his unique role as Communications Manager, and how DSG is revolutionizing the skilled trades industry. He shares how DSG, a 100-year-old, 100% employee-owned wholesale distributor, is tackling the evolving landscape of communications, training and supporting tradespeople, and investing in the next generation. Learn why prod...

Our latest guest is Brian Wild, the Chief Government Relations Officer at NAW (the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors). During his conversation with Karthik while attending the NAW Executive Summit, he talked about his role at NAW, making the move to Washington, D.C. with aspirations to make a difference, and what it takes to be an effective lobbyist, driven by his foundational belief...

In this episode, John Perez, the CEO of Unified A/R, sits down with Karthik to discuss how accounts receivable automation provides a comprehensive view of order to cash processes for wholesaler distributors and manufacturers, with the aim to help them get paid faster, creating a very frictionless experience. In this way, their solution streamlines payment management and reduces costs, improving ca...