In this fourth quarter of one of the most tumultuous and unplanned years any of us has seen, I look at the next few months as an opportunity for transitions.

Typically, this is the time of year we go into planning mode at Ewing, preparing for the transition into the next year. This year, we’re already in the planning cycle, but it’s looking and feeling different. We are working to close out an unprecedented year and transition into 2021, which continues to have a sense of uncertainty behind it.

How did your 2020 projections turn out? Whether better or worse, I think it’s safe to say, none of us could have predicted how our year has been. And now, as we’re trying to plan for 2021, it almost seems like we’re planning for the unpredictable.

However, I’m choosing to look at this as an opportunity for transition — to transition from the ways we planned and projected in the past to adopting new methods, encouraging departmental long-term vision planning and realigning efforts on internal infrastructures, support systems and collaboration.

In distribution, we have learned to adapt and transition every step of this pandemic — with supply chain disruptions like product shortages, temporary closures of manufacturing plants, tariffs and holds on imported cargo, shipping delays, freight shortages, road checks and much more.

With each new challenge, distributors transitioned to the next phase of the pandemic, working hard in the trenches to keep the economy moving forward, providing necessary medical equipment to our communities and supporting both our customers and vendor partners. I believe, as distributors, we’ve proven to be the glue of our communities and industries, keeping strong, steadfast and agile throughout 2020.

I believe we are well prepared to work together as members of NAW and as leaders in our communities to continue to work through several more transitions throughout this year and into the next.

In closing, I would be remiss to not remind everyone that politically this is a transitional year. Whether it’s transitioning leaders of our government or transitioning from a first term into a second term agenda, we will see and experience shifts in the political landscape after November 3.

Voting is our right, duty and responsibility. It is also a privilege to have a voice in our government and determine the type of leadership and representation we want in our country. NAW has provided us resources and endorsements of candidates as we navigate the upcoming elections. I encourage you all to participate in the election and have your voice heard for your community and our country.