AI increasingly is being incorporated into the systems companies already use to manage inventory, warehouses, transportation, and fulfillment, putting a premium on technology platforms with access to large volumes of operational data.
The distributors, wholesalers and merchants that frame AI this way are already pulling ahead. The ones still running AI primarily as an IT project risk losing twice: first the people, then the knowledge they take with them.
Kristee Mitchell, who joined Crescent in 2023, moved into the newly expanded role Aug. 31 after most recently serving as vice president of supply chain fulfillment.
84% expect 2026 sales to increase at least 3%, up 7 percentage points from the previous quarterly survey. 45% expect growth of at least 8%.
For distributors, the August report points to continued demand across important industrial end markets without a corresponding surge in distributor hiring.
The acquisition comes as Winsupply advances a broader distribution expansion announced in March. The company plans to add 1.6 million square feet of capacity over two years through projects in Ohio, Oklahoma and Georgia.
Wholesale trade was among the industries reporting growth in new orders, providing a direct indication that demand strengthened across the distribution sector during the month.
Lowe’s has been building out its Pro capabilities with expanded product access, digital quoting and purchasing tools, job-lot quantities, and direct-to-jobsite delivery.
Morgan Stanley Real Assets said the U.S. industrial market appears to be moving from a cyclical recovery toward another growth cycle, with demand accelerating while development remains constrained.
For distributors, the August report points to continued industrial demand but a less straightforward growth environment than the headline PMI suggests.