As many distributors wonder how to respond to the breathtaking growth of Amazon Business, Office Depot has gone on to create what looks like
Ian Heller
Ian Heller is the Founder and Chief Strategist for Distribution Strategy Group. He has more than 30 years of experience executing marketing and e-business strategy in the wholesale distribution industry, starting as a truck unloader at a Grainger branch while in college. He’s since held executive roles at GE Capital, Corporate Express, Newark Electronics and HD Supply. Ian has written and spoken extensively on the impact of digital disruption on distributors, and would love to start that conversation with you, your team or group. Reach out today at iheller@distributionstrategy.com.
Articles by Ian Heller
Distributors learned some difficult lessons through the pandemic, and they’re planning to build resilience by investing further in digital capabilities, accommodating remote work where feasible, and more. This post
Join us for a fireside chat with Dawn Zassick, VP Customer Solutions at Magnitude Agility, for insider tips on using your product data to
Platforms are indeed “eating the world.” Most distributors can still choose whether they will do the eating or be the meal. This post presents
Safety distributor Arbill has developed a deep set of services, including training and compliance, as well as a private-label product line to meet customers’
In this episode of Wholesale Change Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein talked about how conversations around the role of the sale rep today need
Read how HVAC distributor Gustave Larson has introduced and driven real value from innovative services. Andrew Larson, the long-time CEO and chairman of Gustave Larson, an HVAC
Distributors continue to fall behind in building websites that meet their customers’ needs better than other choices, such as search engines and manufacturers’ digital
Take a closer look at how the PPE industry changed overnight when COVID-19 hit last year and the challenges that have come with that,
Get an insider’s look at how private equity (PE) firms evaluate distribution companies, from people and processes to market opportunities. John Schweig, Chairman of the Board at BlackHawk Industrial and
In his book, The Distributor’s Fee Based Services Manifesto: Why You Need to Consider Charging for Your Services, distribution expert Frank Hurtte argues that distributors face a tough challenge. As market
Andrew Larson talks about how Gustave Larson has evolved its sales force to make it as easy as possible for customers to interact with
Amazon critic Lina Khan, who has upended antitrust thinking, is the new FTC Chair.
It is increasingly important for distributors to add value and differentiate themselves from the competition. Peter Neuberger, CEO of United Performance Metals, shared with
John Schweig, Chairman of the Board at BlackHawk Industrial and Operating Partner at private equity firm Snow Phipps, joined hosts Ian Heller and Jonathan
This post previews some of the key findings in the first report based on our research for the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors into how
In our regular quarterly checkup, Wholesale Change hosts Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein dug into public distributors’ earnings reports from Home Depot, Fastenal, CDW,
The paradox of leaders in new roles is that the lessons they learned in their last jobs are often irrelevant in their new jobs
Peter Jackson, CEO of Miller Industrial Supply, came up in the world of consumer marketing and design before breaking into industrial distribution when he
In this episode Peter Neuberger, President and CEO of United Performance Metals, joined Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein to talk about how the distributor