Association/Buying Group News
MDM Wins Business Journalism Award for Fastenal Case Study
MDM won a Silver Azbee Award for its in-depth case study on Fastenal’s transformative shift to a digital-first distribution model, written by John Gunderson. It was the first feature in MDM's Case Study series, which continues to roll out new reports in 2025.
Modern Distribution Management (MDM), a leading source of business intelligence for wholesale distribution executives, is proud to announce it has received a Silver Award in the Case Study category from the American Society of Business Publication Editors’ (ASBPE) 2025 Azbee Awards of Excellence.
The honored case study, titled “Fastenal: The Big Pivot That Paid Big Dividends,” was recognized in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Written by MDM Contributing Industry Writer John Gunderson and edited by Executive Editor Mike Hockett, the piece offers a deep dive into Fastenal’s decade-long transformation — highlighting its strategic pivot from a traditional branch-based distribution model to an integrated, digital-first, customer-centric powerhouse.
MDM’s SHIFT Conference Coming May 13-15 – Register Here
“We’re incredibly honored to receive this recognition from ASBPE,” MDM Executive Editor Mike Hockett said. “The award reflects our commitment to delivering thoughtful, data-driven analysis that provides actionable insights for distributors. The Fastenal Case Study was a fantastic start to a series of equally valuable deep dives, followed by features on Wesco, Ferguson, Watsco and MSC Industrial Supply.”
The award was presented at ASBPE’s D.C. Chapter Awards Luncheon, hosted by MDM at the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) headquarters in Washington, D.C.
MDM’s award-winning contributor John Gunderson will present, “The Power of Precise Customer Segmentation,” at MDM’s SHIFT 2025 conference in Denver. On May 14, he will explore how distributors can leverage segmentation to drive profitability, loyalty and growth.
MDM Case Study: Fastenal (Premium access here)
About the Case Study
The case study explores how Fastenal:
- Halved its branch footprint while doubling revenue from 2013 to 2023;
- Grew onsite vending solutions to over 112,000 devices;
- Invested in digital infrastructure and specialized sales roles;
- Shifted focus to key accounts and private-label expansion;
- Delivered a 121% increase in revenue and 220 basis point increase in net earnings
The full case study is available here: Fastenal: The Big Pivot That Paid Big Dividends
