Today NAW released Episode 5: Gut Check: A Distribution Point of View on Disruption and Change to subscribers of the NAW Podcast Series: INNOVATE TO DOMINATE, sponsored by PROS.

In this episode, Mark Dancer, Author of NAW’s Innovate to Dominate: The 12th Edition in the Facing the Forces of Change Series, and Richard Blatcher of PROS interview Ian Heller, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Distribution Strategy Group. Among the many ideas and recommendations for the distribution industry that Ian offers, he argues that every distributor must have a strategy for virtual marketplaces, and that the industry may need to create its distribution-centric platform. Ian’s insights are essential for every distributor’s plans for surviving the COVID-19 crisis and emerging stronger than before.

A Caliper Talent Management Article:

How to Build a Better Hiring Plan

A Caliper Talent Management Article:

How to Hire for Success in Sales

Press Release:

The Gilchrist Foundation has awarded four scholarships from the 2020 applicants.  Congratulations to the recipients. We wish them well and are pleased to assist them with their education.  

Advance Components is pleased to announce the promotion of Brad Burel from Director of National Sales to Vice President of Sales. Brad has been with Advance for 16 years, where he started in Account Management, transitioned to the role of Regional Sales Manager, and several years ago was promoted to Director National of Sales. 

“Advance is excited that Brad will be leading a new initiative to merge the company’s sales and account management teams into a new single unified sales team,” says Gary Cravens, Advance’s President. “Our goal remains to be a customer-focused company, and Brad is key to continuing and expanding our mission.”

A few weeks ago, NAW launched the NAW Podcast Series: INNOVATE TO DOMINATE, sponsored by PROS. So far we’ve launched three episodes in this limited series to help distributors face the forces of change through innovation: Check out Episode 1: An Introduction to the Innovate to Dominate Podcast Series to get an overview of the series and highlights from subsequent episodes.

All the remaining episodes in this series can only be accessed by subscribers, so please subscribe today! As a subscriber, you'll receive exclusive episodes directly to your inbox. In addition, every subscriber has a chance to win a FREE electronic copy of NAW’s Innovate to Dominatebook with compliments from PROS!

NAW is pleased to introduce the new NAW Podcast Series: INNOVATE TO DOMINATE, sponsored by PROS.

In our first episode, “An Introduction to the Innovate to Dominate Podcast Series,” you’ll learn about INNOVATE TO DOMINATE and what it means for you in the context of COVID-19. Watch or listen to this podcast – Check it out!

Watson Woodrow Stanley, 96, Purple Heart Recipient and a resident of Howell, MI passed from this life Monday, May 18 of natural causes.

Watson was preceded in death by his wife Bette Ann Eckert (deceased in 1997) and will be sorely missed by his wife Elizabeth (daughter Alicia).  He was the loving father of 3 children, William (Barb) Stanley, Robert (Lana Kenny) Stanley and Judy (Jim) Cash. Watson cherished his 10 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren. He was the brother of Mae (Max) Stevens and Patricia (David) O’Donnell.

Midland Industries, headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is excited to announce the opening of its newest distribution center, located at 5544 Armour Dr. Houston, TX 77020. This facility will stock a complete line of industrial, plumbing, waterworks, and irrigation products including, brass fittings, valves, malleable fittings, steel nipples, ductile iron gate and check valves, lead-free brass fittings, bronze fittings, brass nipples, stainless steel fittings and nipples, and much more. In addition to providing faster deliveries to our customers in the South, this facility features a will-call area supporting customers in the Houston area that wish to pick up. As we continue to grow, we are eager to serve our ever-expanding customer base in this region.

Würth Industry North America (WINA), a leading industrial distributor of supply chain solutions for fasteners, MRO and safety equipment, announced March 31, 2020 that it has signed a national agreement with Markforged, the leading provider of industrial metal and carbon fiber 3D printers. The agreement will better serve the needs of Würth Industry's customers in the general manufacturing market, as well as oil & gas, heavy equipment, and transportation.

"We are thrilled to bring innovative digital supply chain solutions to our customers," said Dan Hill, Chief Executive Officer for Würth Industry North America. "By integrating Markforged 3D Printing technology with our existing kanban programs, we are able to offer quicker time to market and lower inventory costs. We're able to cut out the sourcing, purchasing, and transportation costs and deliver the value directly to the customer."

From the NAW Blog

Each of your customers brings value to your business. Some already provide a considerably high value that your business relies on, while others have significant potential that you haven’t fully tapped. Then there are the customers who cost more to serve than they provide in value. The question is: Do you know which customer is which? And are you adjusting your approach accordingly?

From the NAW Blog

Many distributors have been doing things the same way for years. In some cases, what worked then still works now. Yet, part of preparing for the future is preparing for the unexpected — whether that is economic volatility or other industry disruption, such as the Coronavirus.

From the NAW Blog

Digital marketplaces were a major theme at the recent NAW Executive Summit, and for good reason; B2B marketplaces are predicted to be a $3.6 trillion boon for distributors in the next few years. This new opportunity is certainly good for distributors, but it does make action even harder. How can AI, e-commerce and marketplaces all be multi-trillion dollar opportunities? Further, which one should distributors pursue first?

From the NAW Blog

Distributors are a strategic go-to-market asset for manufacturers and many are stepping up to reinvent the traditional distribution business model for the digital age. My recent conversations with manufacturers indicate that many suppliers have not noticed and very few have actively engaged with even their most influential distributor partners. The partnership between distributors and manufacturers remains as crucial as ever, but it will die without proactive collaboration around emerging innovation opportunities.

Sherex Fastening Solutions, a global leader in engineered fasteners, tooling, and automation, is excited to announce the release of its Hand Tool Calibration Unit.

From the NAW Blog

The United States is entering a new phase of crisis management. For the first time in weeks, restrictions are easing instead of intensifying. The economy is reopening. And for distributors, that means the biggest changes are yet to come.

After careful consideration and due to the escalation of COVID-19 in the United States, Reed Exhibitions has announced May 8, 2020 that the next edition of Fastener Fair USA will now take place March 23-25, 2021 at the Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

Initially optimistic that the event could be held in late July, as the pandemic has continued to escalate and the challenges it has brought to the industry, it is clear that July is no longer a viable option.