The MDM Podcast

From Wall Street to the warehouse — twice. Two executives from A&M Industrial's leadership team share their parallel journeys back to their (now third generation) family-owned distribution business. Hear how innovation, value-added sales and market expansion are built on the foundation of deep company values that forged its reputation in industrial distribution.

At NAW's marquee annual event, we had mini-interviews with 10 different distributor executives about their company's biggest initiatives in 2025; the industry's top challenges and reasons for optimism; and what they get out of the event.

Two longtime power transmission/motion control industry veterans, Brian Short and Bill Shepard, join to discuss career retrospection; what's changed in the market over the past four decades; their thoughts on AI; and the role of product information management, including how two leading associations are driving it forward.

Our MDM Case Study series rolled out finished reports on Ferguson and Watsco down the stretch of 2024, with plenty more to come in 2025. Here, the author of those case studies, John Gunderson, joins to debrief on his key takeaways from researching those two companies and a preview of his next deep dive on MSC Industrial Supply.

With the dust settled on the merger of Lawson Products, TestEquity and GexPro Services to form Distribution Solutions Group, it's time for a then-and-now investigation. LKCM Headwater Investment's Brad Wallace — a DSG board member who helped spearhead that transaction — joins to discuss the rationale behind the company's creation, what's ahead for DSG and why distribution is so attractive for PE i...

As one of the most recognizable figures in industrial distribution, Mike DeCata joins to reflect on his career in the channel, of which the first 18 years were spent at General Electric and the last 10 at Lawson Products. We cover what he misses about day-to-day CEO life (and what he doesn't); the biggest changes in the industry in his tenure; what he's most proud of; and what he's keeping an eye...

Port operators and the union representing U.S. East and Gulf Coast dockworkers reached a tentative labor deal, but the underlying issues remain. Here, the MDM Editors and NAW's CEO share their perspectives and how distributors are navigating the situation.

With our marquee thought leadership event fresh in mind, MDM Editors Mike Hockett and Vesna Brajkovic debrief the messages, themes and anecdotes from the event that stood out to them and take a look forward to SHIFT 2025 next May.

During July, MDM published a three-part article series that profiled electrical distributor Wesco and its transformative strength. That series culminated with a more robust case study report that is now in the MDM Store. Here, the author of that series and case study, John Gunderson, joins to discuss key takeaways from his research into Wesco and what stood out to him.

1st Ayd Corp. continues to see success with its field-based sales model that centers on providing its staff with the tools and entrepreneurial freedom to pursue the earnings potential they desire. We chat with company President Tommy Schreiner on what that looks like for the 50-year-old, family-owned MRO and JanSan distributor, and what it takes for reps to thrive in that environment.

Safety equipment is an evolving product category that touches every distribution vertical. ISEA CEO Cam Mackey joins the MDM Podcast to take us through the safety standards and regulations that will inform future product demand.

You've seen our promotions for it, but here, MDM Editors Mike Hockett and Vesna Brajkovic break down the extensive value that this year's SHIFT conference provides; recap their biggest takeaways from the 2023 version; highlight our 2024 agenda items; and discuss why you should be there.

Wesco's "all things digital" leader Akash Khurana joins us to discuss what digital transformation has meant for the electrical distributor, which ramped up its initiatives on that front upon its 2020 landmark acquisition of Anixter. He also sheds light on Wesco's AI use and other recent investments.

Tom Gale and Mike Marks discuss the biggest challenges distributors face as they transition from a traditional outside-generalist sales process to a more adaptive digital-forward go-to-market model, with clearly-defined, team-based selling and service roles.

With our September SHIFT event rapidly approaching, McKinsey & Company Senior Partner Kevin Sachs stops by to preview the keynote he will co-present with fellow McKinsey Partner Victoria Bough. We also re-visit last year's keynote takeaways and what the firm sees as the top underlying factors driving wholesale distribution in the year ahead.

Many distributors have spent the past several years re-structuring, re-sizing and re-tooling their sales teams. Here, Dorn Group's James Dorn and John Gunderson discuss how to optimize these refreshed sales teams and align them in a single direction toward high-level revenue performance.

New PVF distribution group Venturi Supply was formed in 2023 through the combination of six independent companies. CEO Michael DiMino stops by to discuss how the company has maintained those firms' independence while also fostering cohesiveness across the combined organization, and what the path forward looks like.

Ted Cowie retired at the end of May after four decades leading distribution and manufacturing sales teams, including at Motion, Safety Today and Barnes. He and Tom Gale examine how sales strategies evolved during his career, particularly during his 10+ years at Motion, and reflect on the relationships that made his time in the industry successful.

In advance of MDM's July 10 Virtual Sales Summit, Tom Gale, Tony Pericle and Nick Pericle dive into what high-performance distribution sales models look like in 2024 and the deeper challenges that sales reps face in the marketplace today. Their discussion covers changing roles and customer expectations and the ways in which technology, including AI, can help reps elevate their game.

Like for any distributor making frequent acquisitions and headcount additions, it takes a high degree of communication, strategic planning and integration coordination to ensure the train stays on the tracks. That's just what Vermont-based Green Mountain Electric Supply has done, with about a dozen bolt-on deals made since 2021. Two of its executives stop by to share how the distributor has made i...

Artificial intelligence in distribution carries a combination of hype, hope, promise and peril. Long-time technology analyst Justin King, the Global Director and Analyst of the B2B eCommerce Association, helps cut through the noise to get more precise on the short- and long-term impact of how AI is being deployed in distribution. Hear real-world AI use cases from the industry and where he sees the...

AIS Industrial & Construction Supply is a single-location distributor, but its innovation in sales, marketing and eCommerce has outdone that of many larger industry counterparts. President & CEO Dale Hahs joins to discuss what AIS has been up to lately, what he's seen change in his 40 years with the company, and what he'd do differently in a career restart.

MRO supplies distributor Vallen has undergone major changes over the past few years, including its $350 million acquisition of Wesco Integrated Supply that closed April 1. But that deal is just the latest move. A former Sonepar subsidiary, Vallen became independent in 2022, has joined AD and NAW and was named ISA's 2023 Innovator of the Year. CEO Chuck Delph stops by to discuss the company's aggre...

MDM brought a staff contingent to the Industrial Supply Association's annual spring convention, ISA24, held April 15-17 in Charlotte. This compilation podcast features eight mini interviews Executive Editor Mike Hockett conducted at ISA24, gathering perspectives from ISA's CEO, two distribution CEOs, three service providers and two college students. These attendees share their thoughts on the show...

Wajax Corp. has significantly expanded its Industrial Parts unit during the Iggy Domagalski's first two years as CEO, and he stopped by to discuss key drivers for that business. We also touch on Wajax's ongoing ERP rollout and technology initiatives, the company's PPE enhancements, and the tailwinds and headwinds for fellow Canadian industrial distributors.