Joining a national association and adding your name to those that give of their company to build a stronger industry and stronger future is not life-threatening by any means. No one is shooting at us and our lives aren’t at risk.

AD’s 5th annual eCommerce Summit, held Aug. 23-25 at the Gaylord National Resort in Fort Washington, Maryland, set a new benchmark for digital sophistication in AD’s independent distributor community. This year’s summit spoke to a new trend among its members: more companies ready to harness next-level tools and accelerate their digital growth.

What do street drag racing, stock car racing, a senior basketball team and kite-surfing have in common? They're all hobbies of professional plumbers. Pretty cool, right? Pfister certainly thinks so, as the bath and kitchen manufacturer has launched a new docuseries featuring the lives of plumbers throughout the U.S.

Ahead of AIM/R's 49th annual conference, A. O. Smith execs and reps discuss evolving role of manufacturers’ reps and why AIM/R is vital to success.

We’ve all discussed work from home in terms of productivity, and how some employees want to stay working at home, others are itching to get back into the office, and many companies have adopted a hybrid approach. But I hadn’t thought too much about how company culture can be affected in this new work from home world.

Five key financial metrics to help your company thrive and survive any crisis.

After nearly a year of catastrophic events and the subsequent policies that have changed how businesses operate, business owners are in a state of heightened alert for whatever might come around the corner. Now, more than ever, businesses are looking to gain a better understanding of how they compare to their peers and competitors.

According to a recent McKinsey report, more than 90% of B2B companies have shifted to a virtual or hybridized sales model due to COVID-19. Though dramatic, this shift reveals an emerging trend away from face-to-face sales.

When it comes to digital presence — e-Commerce, ERP software, social media, websites, etc. — the wholesale-distribution sector is somewhat all over the map. A recent survey conducted by Supply House Times asked several industrial PVF distributors to anonymously comment on their company’s utilization of and plans for adopting e-Commerce.

In the early 1980s, I bought a multi-location, contractor-supply distributor. The employees were panicked about a new owner from outside the industry. But — thanks to Customer Advisory Boards (CABs) — we all won big.