Navigating the Industry’s Challenges: A Conversation with ISA CEO Brendan Breen

This episode of The Wholesale Change Show features Mark Chadwell, who shares how Chadwell Supply became the largest privately owned multifamily maintenance supplier in the US. With a faith-driven, employee-focused culture and advanced technology, they serve over 50,000 customers across 36 locations. The show also highlights Tornet’s AI solutions for distributors and the Customer Experience RX program that boosts satisfaction and loyalty. It's a must-listen for anyone in distribution looking to excel in customer service and growth.

Watch on-demand for an exclusive pre-conference conversation with Don Sarno, Senior Vice President of Digital Enterprise Americas at Sonepar, as he shared insights ahead of his session at the Applied AI for Distributors Conference in June. In this engaging discussion, Don explored the transformative role of AI in distribution, how Sonepar is leveraging AI to drive digital innovation, and what the future holds for AI-powered supply chain and customer experience strategies. Get a sneak peek into the key themes and takeaways from his upcoming presentation at the AI conference. Key Takeaways: * How AI is reshaping the distribution landscape * Sonepar’s approach to digital transformation and AI adoption *Practical AI applications that enhance operational efficiency and customer engagement *What to expect from Don’s session at the Applied AI for Distributors Conference in June Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from one of the industry’s leading voices on AI and digital transformation. Register now to gain early insights into AI’s impact on distribution and prepare for the conference in June!

Listen to this episode of The Wholesale Change Show, featuring special guest Brendan Breen, CEO of the Industrial Supply Association (ISA). ISA’s annual convention, ISA25, starts March 31 in Nashville. The organization – which serves distributors, manufacturer reps and manufacturers – continues to introduce new initiatives to drive growth and support members in the industrial channel. The conversation dug into: The importance of building and maintaining strong channel partnerships How ISA members are tackling the challenges the industry faces today The role ISA is playing in educating and engaging with the channel around critical issues such as tariffs and the talent gap ISA’s newest initiatives, including the building of a veteran network How distributors can leverage ISA's resources and insights Don't miss this opportunity to gain actionable insights from Brendan, who because of his role, brings a holistic view of the industry to the table.

Voomi is an ecommerce HVAC distributor that works with OEMs and other distributors to provide an extremely wide assortment of products to customers across the U.S. The company gives their supply partners access to new customer segments and regions so they can expand their markets. Listen now to hear Voomi CEO RJ Cilley discuss the company’s unique value proposition. As distribution channels and partnerships continue to evolve, it’s essential to hear from the leaders building new business models that meet customers’ increasingly demanding requirements.

Over the past four years, The Wholesale Change Show has featured CEOs from MSC Industrial, Global Industrial, Zoro, Lawson Products, Johnstone Supply and dozens of other leading distributors. It’s the most informative and entertaining webcast and podcast in distribution! Watch on-demand for a special milestone event as we celebrated our 100th episode! We looked back on what we’ve learned and talked about the state of the distribution industry today and where it’s going. Distribution Strategy Group’s own Ian Heller, Jonathan Bein and Brian Hopkins were joined by long-time distribution executives and frequent guests Ron Paulson, who spent decades at Grainger, Eric Wessinger of Richards Supply and Dirk Beveridge, Executive Producer of We Supply America. Whether you’re a longtime listener or new to the series, this event is a must-watch.

The second half of 2024 has been defined by uncertainty, with the election looming and economic indicators wavering. Alex Chausovsky, a highly experienced market researcher and analyst, clarified the murky forecast when he joined Wholesale Change hosts Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein to talk about what distributors can expect in the rest of 2024 and beyond. He provided practical and actionable advice to help you chart a course in the new year. We discussed: The impact of the U.S. presidential election Economic growth projections The impact of interest rate fluctuations Labor market trends The supply chain outlook Sector-specific insights And more You won’t want to miss this. Listen now!

Watch on-demand as hosts Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein sit down with Wes Smith, the president and CEO of the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED). Wes started his current position in January 2024, but he’s no stranger to the electrical industry or the association. He spent more than 34 years with Mayer Electric, including 14+ years as president before they were acquired by Rexel. At Rexel, he served as Chief Strategy and Growth Officer. After three decades in the industry, he was named NAED’s chairman from 2020-2022 and remained on the executive committee until he was appointed to lead the association. We talked with Wes about: *NAED’s mission in the electrical industry *What’s driving the electrical distribution industry, including challenges and opportunities *How NAED collaborates with other groups in the channel *How NAED is tackling key issues, including energy policy, workforce development, supply chain transparency, data standards and more *The future role of organizations like NAED in the distribution industry

On this episode of The Wholesale Change Show, we welcomed Zoro President Sandy Mattinson. Zoro is an ecommerce platform that helps businesses thrive by offering an endless assortment of products for every business need. Launched in 2011, the Grainger subsidiary has grown rapidly to over 600 team members and over $1 billion in annual revenues.  Sandy joined Zoro in 2019 as the company’s first female vice president and established its business development, category management and digital merchandising capabilities, which were instrumental in expanding Zoro’s assortment to more than 13 million products. Sandy continues to invest in the culture that has seen Zoro recognized repeatedly as a great place to work. “My ‘North Star’ is helping people in businesses thrive,” she says. “Our business customers, our distributor partners and our team members. That’s how Zoro thrives, too.” In this conversation, we explored the company’s value proposition and how Sandy is helping build on its success by investing in the success of other distributors.

Watch as Distribution Strategy Group’s Ian Heller is joined by some of the technology leaders who participated in our recent conference, Applied AI for Distributors. During an information-filled, action-packed event, attendees spent two and a half days immersed in the latest information and education on AI and how it can help distributors grow sales, drive productivity, improve CX and provide better services. During this discussion, panelists reviewed: General session speakers: Zack Kass was at OpenAI when they launched ChatGPT and now he’s a futurist with an inspiring and profound message about the future of AI. Theresa Payton is a former White House CIO who spoke on how AI impacts cybersecurity threats. Brooks Hamilton spoke on how AI can drive profitability and Jonathan Bein gave an overview of AI applications for distributors. We’ll also talk about the eyebrow-raising presentation Grainger’s Chief Product Officer Brian Walker. Networking: Always the best part of a great conference, the networking was amazing at the Applied AI event. The starry-eyed looks we saw at the last event are gone; now, distributors are in the market for applications to help them run better businesses – now. Breakout sessions. Dozens of technology companies demonstrated existing AI applications or offered sneak peaks about what’s coming soon. Learn about the conference if you couldn’t attend or participate in a review discussion to refresh your memory if you were there.

Can AI truly make a real-world difference, today, in a mid-sized distribution company? The answer is yes and Millcraft is one company who did it by focusing on adopting the latest technology and recruiting and training a workforce that understands how to use it. Among other solutions the company has implemented AI tools for order automation that has increased touchless ordering to 60%. Watch the Wholesale Change Show on-demand with hosts Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein, Ph.D. as we welcomed our guest Travis Mlakar, president of Millcraft. Learn how Travis incorporated AI to make a significant difference, freeing up employee time to focus on what is truly valuable to the customer. Travis also discussed the next steps for the company. Using advanced analytics along with AI, Travis will be optimizing cross selling, supply, and other areas for ready for advancement.