Association/Buying Group News
AD’s Nine-Month Member Sales Reach Record $89.6B
The update follows the buying group’s completion of its supplyFORCE acquisition and appointment of a national accounts leader.
Contractor and industrial supplies wholesale buying group AD reported that member company sales increased 15% year-over-year to a record $89.6 billion during the first nine months of 2026.
The results covered AD’s 13 divisions across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Same-store sales grew 12%, led by the U.S. PVF Division’s 16% increase, followed by 15% growth in U.S. Electrical.
Member purchases from AD suppliers increased 25%, while distributions to members grew 35%.
The update followed AD’s first-half report of more than $58 billion in member sales, also up 15% year-over-year. Same-store sales growth strengthened from 10% through June, while growth in purchases from AD suppliers edged up from 24%.
“The results we’re sharing through the first nine months of the year reflect the strength of the independent businesses that make up our membership, and the value they continue to generate through their partnerships with AD suppliers and their exceptional local service,” AD Chairman and CEO Bill Weisberg said.
The sales update follows Wayne, PA-based AD’s Sept. 24 completion of its acquisition of supplyFORCE, adding a national accounts operation that helps independent distributors jointly pursue and service large maintenance, repair and operations contracts and government accounts.
Financial terms were not disclosed. More than 80 supplyFORCE employees joined AD, with the business continuing as an optional value-added program for AD members. The acquisition was AD’s 18th transaction with another member-owned group.
Ahead of the closing, AD announced Aug. 4 that it had appointed Shannon Bibbee as President of AD National Accounts. Bibbee leads the National Accounts Program and works with AD’s leadership, members and supplier partners to expand members’ ability to compete for large, multisite customer opportunities.
Bibbee brought more than 20 years of commercial and operations leadership experience in industrial supply distribution. He served as Vice President of North American Operations at fasteners and Class-C components distributor Supply Technologies from 2022-2025, followed by work as a fractional chief operating officer for three privately held companies.
