Thought Leadership and Software for Wholesale Change Agents
Mark Brohan
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GMS Acquires Frontier Drywall Supply, Expanding Colorado Footprint
The acquisition is the latest in a series of bolt-on deals GMS has completed since becoming part of The Home Depot’s distribution platform.
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Central Garden & Pet and Phillips Pet Food & Supplies to Form Pet Distribution Joint Venture
Central contributes its pet supplies distribution operations and a branded portfolio that includes Nylabone, Kaytee and Aqueon, among other labels.
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Fastenal Sales Climb 12.4% in First Quarter
Total digital footprint combining FMI and e-business sales net of overlap accounted for 61.5% of net sales, compared with 61.0% a year earlier. E-business sales, which include e-procurement and ecommerce transactions, reached $648.8 million, up 6.8%.
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Inflation Surge Puts Wholesale Distributors in a Cost Squeeze
Wholesale distributors are absorbing the sharpest inflation shock in two years, as surging energy prices triggered by the U.S.-Israeli military conflict with Iran drove the Consumer Price Index up 3.3% year-over-year in March.
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Distributors Expand Regional Fulfillment Centers
Across verticals, the expansion activity reflects a consistent strategy: distributors are building larger, strategically located facilities to improve delivery speed and service levels in contractor-driven end markets.
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Amazon Accelerates AI and Raises Competitive Pressure on Distributors
CEO Andy Jassy described a company investing at unprecedented scale to expand its reach across procurement, logistics and customer access — areas that align closely with distributors’ traditional strengths.
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A Key Grainger Manager Moves into U.S. Sales and Onsite Services Leadership Role
Brian Walker most recently served as chief product officer, where he oversaw Grainger’s technology priorities, including its digital platforms and Grainger.com.
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Sealed Air Goes Private in $10.3 Billion Deal with Clayton, Dubilier & Rice
Sealed Air’s product lines are widely stocked and distributed by packaging, industrial and janitorial/sanitation distributors serving a range of end markets.
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Commerce.com Rejects Second Hostile Bid from Rezolve AI as Agentic Commerce Battle Escalates
As ecommerce and AI vendors compete to control the B2B commerce stack, distributors face potential shifts in the platforms, integrations and digital capabilities that underpin their online sales and customer experience.
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Sysco Digital Chief Departs Amid $29.1 Billion Restaurant Depot Deal
Tom Peck, executive vice president and chief information and digital officer, will step down effective April 10, to pursue an opportunity outside the foodservice industry.