Sysco’s announcement reflects a broader trend among large distributors to expand AI beyond customer-facing applications and into supply chain, logistics and back-office operations, where productivity improvements can have a greater impact on profitability.

The results extend AD’s momentum from the first quarter and come less than a month after the organization announced its intent to acquire supplyFORCE, a provider of national maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) and government contract management services

The acquisition combines two major suppliers to the electrical industry as investment accelerates in power infrastructure, artificial intelligence data centers, manufacturing expansion and grid modernization—markets that increasingly drive demand for electrical distributors.

The expansion builds on longstanding relationships with the distributors rather than creating new partnerships.

The investments reflect a broader shift in specialty distribution as security, access control, networking and audiovisual systems become more integrated and technically complex.

The announcement comes as distributors across the building products, industrial supplies and construction sectors continue to cite a shortage of skilled labor as a significant challenge.

While Builders FirstSource remains the nation’s largest supplier of building materials to professional builders, the company has increasingly positioned itself as a provider of manufactured components and turnkey construction solutions that generate higher margins and deepen customer relationships.

Northline operates five business units across Michigan, Indiana and North Carolina, providing repair and maintenance services for industrial, mechanical, and robotic equipment.

Meritus said it will continue operating Metroplex as a locally managed business while providing additional resources through its national platform.

Wesco emphasized that the company’s strategy is evolving from supplying products into data centers to supporting the entire AI infrastructure ecosystem.