Distribution Events
Thought Leadership and Software for Wholesale Change Agents
News
All the latest reporting and analysis from Distribution Strategy Group.
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Distributors Move from Buying AI Software to Buying AI Companies, Technology and Talent
Some of the biggest companies in distribution are acquiring AI companies, buying technology and intellectual property, or investing directly in businesses developing AI for distribution and other operationally complex industries. Here’s why.
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The AI Order Is Here. Decide What Your Agent Can Sign for Before It Can.
The distributors who come out ahead will define transaction authority before they scale it, not after an agent commits the company to something nobody meant to approve.
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Before You Sell the Business, Fix What the Frontline Is Holding Together
Before an owner focuses on valuation, the more important question is whether the business can consistently produce the earnings being valued.
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Cummins-Wagner Acquires Syracuse Thermal, Expands in Central New York
Cummins-Wagner said the acquisition is part of its strategy to expand through a combination of market growth and acquisitions.
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Do it Best Pushes True Value Integration Deeper into Distribution, Technology
CEO Dan Starr is scheduled to provide a business and financial update on Sept. 27 during the cooperative’s annual shareholders meeting.
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IWDC Makes Three Management Changes Across Gas, IT and Finance
IWDC is a member-owned cooperative that serves independent welding, industrial gas and related distributors with purchasing programs, supplier relationships, marketing support, and other services.
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Nearly Half of Distributors Use AI for Sales, but Many Still Don’t Track Key Metrics
The report found that 49% of respondents are already using AI for sales, while another 29% plan to begin using it within six months. 22% have no current plans to adopt AI.
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Fastenal’s Quiet AI Acquisition Signals Bigger Push Into Agentic AI
The combination of Rampp’s technology, Ajay Agrawal’s new Fastenal role and Fastenal’s previously disclosed AI strategy provides more context around a transaction that attracted little attention when it occurred in June.
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UPS Reshapes Global Operations After Cutting Amazon Volume
The company said the restructuring also supports its effort to expand beyond its traditional small-package business into integrated logistics services.
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UK Distributor AIC Gets $16.3 Million Investment for Management Buyout
The Leeds, England-based distributor imports and distributes automotive, electrical, and industrial consumables and supplies more than 6,100 products to more than 5,500 customers across the UK, Europe, and the U.S.