At the NAED Annual meeting I asked distributors, manufacturers and others who typically hear about mergers / acquisitions what they were hearing. Not so much about specific companies but more in general ... were they hearing of activity. All said that \"the market\" was quiet and a few shared that the one of the marketing groups was being a little more \"proactive\" in trying … [Read more...] about The Next Phase of Acquisitions?
Growth Strategies
Arrival of the “Alt Channels”- Amazon and Zoro Advertise
Much has been researched, written and talked about the emergence of alternate (alt) channels. Amazon Business is regularly mentioned and Grainger\'s eCommerce initiatives are lauded. Now comes Zoro Tools, which many may recall Grainger purchased and has been promoting here in the U.S. Both companies have influenced eCommerce spend among electrical distributors but not many have … [Read more...] about Arrival of the “Alt Channels”- Amazon and Zoro Advertise
Industrial Market Drivers, Can You Compete Differently
Over the past few weeks distributors and manufacturers are reporting an uptick in their industrial business and, in some cases, a significant increase. The reasons vary from \"general optimism\" to the increase in oil rigs; from replacing / upgrading aging equipment to responding to the need for increased capacity; from consolidation of operations requiring investment in a … [Read more...] about Industrial Market Drivers, Can You Compete Differently
Affordable eCommerce for Smaller Distributors
As everyone knows, there has been much discussion regarding eCommerce and how it is \"vital\" for the survival of distributors. It\'s essential to compete against Amazon. And small distributors (<$25M) are dinosaurs, destined to become extinct because of their inability to invest in eCommerce. And at the same time we heard of eCommerce systems that cost hundreds of … [Read more...] about Affordable eCommerce for Smaller Distributors
Looking Forward – Industry Outlook for Basic Sales Forecasting
Only 30 days left in the year. And with all of the year-end things to do and possibly meetings you had to attend, many are just getting around to doing their 2017 planning … or at least sales forecasting. The planning element … determining how you want to affect change in your “environment” whether through service offerings, operational improvement, personnel “enhancement”, … [Read more...] about Looking Forward – Industry Outlook for Basic Sales Forecasting
Construction Outlook: up 5% in 2017; Building Construction Up 8%!
The recent Dodge Construction Outlook report produced by Dodge Data & Analytics is an interesting read. Not only does it provide some historical perspective but provides the understanding for why 2016 has been such a \"market specific\" economy and also shares the rationale for its 2017 projection of a 5% increase in construction. And while the outlook could be perceived as … [Read more...] about Construction Outlook: up 5% in 2017; Building Construction Up 8%!
Construction Process Disruption & 2017 Dodge Construction Forecast
Many at last week\'s Dodge Data & Analytics Construction Outlook conference, which coincided with the AD North American Meeting at the same hotel, over 170 manufacturers and retailers attended to gain insights into 2017. While many came for the outlook (and we\'ll dissect the report for a future posting, but here is a high level report from Electrical … [Read more...] about Construction Process Disruption & 2017 Dodge Construction Forecast
Attend Free Advanced Business Planning Webinar
Earlier this year Channel Marketing Group conducted research regarding joint business planning and released the results earlier this fall. Some of the key findings revealed that: Manufacturers talk sales; distributors talk profits ... and then sales Distributors who invest in planning processes outperform those who \"gloss\" over the process and are content with goal … [Read more...] about Attend Free Advanced Business Planning Webinar
Entering and Managing In the IoT Space
Last week we shared information, highlighted the potential opportunities and discussed potential distributor involvement in the Internet of Things (IoT) and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) arena while also featuring the first segment of input from Dick Friedman. As promised, below are additional thoughts from Dick: Part one of this series touched on the threat of … [Read more...] about Entering and Managing In the IoT Space
Are you ready for the IoT?
Whether it is IoT or IIoT, the Internet of Things is all the rage. You can\'t pick up a trade publication without seeing an article on either topic. And in reality they are essentially the same with the only difference being the market segment with the IIoT focusing on the industrial market and IoT covering essentially all other segments. Lighting and lighting control … [Read more...] about Are you ready for the IoT?
