The first two articles in this series looked at the cost-to-price lag — in isolation. As explained here in the conclusion, the full picture is bigger: a single vendor cost increase actually triggers three separate...
Recent NAW survey results and independent case studies show that understanding the days-long gap between supplier cost increases and pricing response can help distributors feel more confident in protecting margins. The second in this three-part...
AI agents can quickly inflate costs and amplify risk when every task uses the same model. This article shows how intelligent model routing, firm guardrails and human oversight can help distributors scale AI responsibly while...
Distribution deal activity remains resilient, but buyers are applying greater scrutiny to margins, recurring revenue and competitive differentiation. PMCF’s Joe Wagner explains which assets are commanding premiums, how acquisition priorities are changing and what prospective...
The 2Q26 NAW-Baird Industrial Distribution Survey reveals what distributors are most excited — and most concerned — about over the next 12 months, from demand recovery to geopolitical uncertainty.
Construction estimates often fail because labor, pricing, freight and lead-time assumptions become outdated before purchasing begins. This article explains how distributors can provide the real-time market intelligence, transparent quotes and delivery planning customers need to...
After five straight considerable upward revisions to the industry’s 2026 revenue outlook, our latest Forecast was comparatively quiet at the top line. Oil & Gas gave back some of its recent surge, but broad upgrades...
Activity improved from a weaker June, with Ferguson’s pending $1.6 billion purchase of FloWorks serving as the biggest transaction of the bunch, by far. Get our rundown of every deal we published during July, along...
Most distributors report stable supplier relationships over the past two years, while manufacturers report significantly greater improvement. See commentary and results from the latest 2Q26 NAW-Baird Industrial Distribution Survey.
In the fourth and final installment of this series, Bart Tessel explores why the next wholesale-distribution operating model is built on flow, better decisions and continuous adaptation.
Our latest update shows a fifth straight considerable upward revision to the broader industry’s 2026 forecast, driven again by oil & gas and data center-fed electrical & electronics. Get your much more valuable sector-specific revenue...
The company pointed to share gains alongside a modestly improving industrial backdrop. Here, we break down all the key figures and executive commentary from Fastenal’s 2Q26 and June financial reports.
