Sonepar's electric units to merge under Crawford banner | F.W. Webb agrees to acquire pair of Penn. suppliers | Americold to build cold storage facilities along CPKC rail network
Sonepar plans to merge its Irby Electric and Crawford Electric subsidiaries next year to operate under the Crawford brand, a move that is expected to "create significant growth prospects" and "will not impact our customers or the day-to-day work of associates," said Sonepar North America President Rob Taylor. The combined business will serve industrial customers, contractors and installers in eight states and continue to invest in logistics, acquisitions and branch coverage.
F.W. Webb is buying a pair of Penn.-based plumbing suppliers and opening a new location in eastern N.J. The Mass.-based distributor is acquiring Philadelphia-based Rising Sun Plumbing Supply and Elkins Park-based Steinberg Plumbing Supply, with company officials saying both firms provide plumbing, heating and industrial products to southeast Penn. and will grow it's presence in the region.
The CPKC rail network and Americold Realty Trust have announced a collaboration in which the REIT will locate cold storage facilities along the network. The first facility will be in Kansas City, Mo., which is along CPKC's new Mexico Midwest Express intermodal service that connects Mexico and Chicago.
Sysco's Recipe for Growth blueprint -- for which it won the CIO 100 Award -- focuses on driving growth through analytics, artificial intelligence and the Sysco Shop e-commerce system that offers personalization and customization, said Tom Peck, chief information and digital officer. "We've been able to deliver in a more agile way, and every two weeks [roll out] new capabilities that are much more consumer-like," Peck said, explaining that upselling, cross-selling and personalized recommendations "combined with our investments and sales tools...are driving a lot of growth."
Artificial intelligence-powered product recommendation software can drive business through a "word-of-machine effect" that helps customers make informed decisions about whether alternative products may suit their needs, writes Benj Cohen, founder of Proton.ai. "Distributors should trust AI to make product recommendations, not because they are infallible, but because they provide a valuable starting point for customer engagement, increase average order value and improve overall customer sentiment," Cohen writes.
Credibility is essential to successfully marketing a business, and one way to build a strong reputation is to ask loyal customers to share their feedback in testimonials, writes Rudy Mawer, CEO Of Mawer Capital. Other strategies involve developing case studies that use data and visuals, working with experts and influencers, and tapping into the power of user-generated content.
Marketing to businesses doesn't mean eschewing the creativity that has long been associated with consumer-based marketing, writes Tyrona Heath, who discusses the commercial case for creative advertising among B2B firms. "Emotion, storytelling, music, characters, and persuasive techniques are all necessary in B2B to inspire decision-making," Heath writes.
Deep expertise in technology is only useful as an accompaniment to customer relationships, says Jason Grunberg, Bluecore Chief Marketing Officer. Grunberg emphasizes the "fundamentals of high quality relationships - becoming known , respected, and trusted and then above all else creating safety for the customer."
Sreeni Kutam, ADP's president of global product and innovation and former chief HR officer, follows a "5P" model for leadership, focusing on purpose, people, priorities, process and performance. "If you get those first four right, then you will get the performance you want," Kutam says.
