President Joe Biden delivered his State of the Union address and laid out a plan to increase taxes on corporations and wealthy individuals. Biden also vowed to end tax breaks for executive pay over $1 million and called for more drug-price negotiations, clean tech manufacturing and congressional oversight of AI.

Cameron Ashley Building Products plans to open four distribution centers this year, part of an infrastructure that allows Cameron Ashley to offer same-day or next-day delivery. The building products distributor's growth strategy includes increasing sales to existing customers and orders taken at dealer shows, a generous bonus program for truck drivers and a digital transformation that has helped improve "efficiency, speed and ease of doing business," says CEO and President Donny DeMarie.

Uline plans to expand its presence in Pleasant Prairie, Wis., expecting to break ground this spring on a fourth headquarters building to be completed in late 2025. The three-story, 325,279-square-foot headquarters building will house more than 700 employees. Uline has 2,500 employees working in the village across eight buildings that include warehouses, distribution space and a corporate office.

Supply chain professionals anticipate big data and advanced analytics to have the biggest influence on their work in 2024, followed by digitization, data management and process standardization, according to an American Productivity & Quality Center survey. More than half of respondents anticipated significant challenges implementing new technologies.

US importers such as Walmart are refraining from signing new trans-Pacific container shipping contracts as the official annual event kicks off in hopes of lower negotiated and spot rates that have surged amid Red Sea vessel attacks, say analysts. "Nobody wants to negotiate at peak," says Stephanie Loomis, Americas head of ocean freight for Rhenus Logistics.

Using digital tools in your sales strategy helps teams make data-driven decisions based on customer insights and information gathered through third-party partners, write Harvard Business School senior lecturer Frank Cespedes and Globalpraxis senior partner Georg Krentzel. Creating an ecosystem of tools can forge higher prospect conversion, offer real-time information and align different sales channels through one streamlined process, they note.

Sixty-four percent of business-to-business buyers are now either Generation Z or millennials, per Forrester, which means B2B marketers must prioritize strategies to appeal to these digital natives, writes Anteriad's Dee Blohm. Her advice includes creating digital experiences and content that delivers the self-service approach preferred by younger buyers and using social proof as evidence of brand values.

Employee productivity and satisfaction declines more at companies that have an age gap of more than 12 years between employees and managers, according to research published by the London School of Economics and Protiviti. "So it's not that older managers are bad to their mentees or direct reports -- they just don't understand them," says Axios HQ Chief Operating Officer Jordan Zaslav, who adds managers should embrace technology, improve their communication skills and change their leadership approach to engage younger employees.

Research shows the benefits are clear: Companies that invest in their employees' professional development experience increased employee retention, improved performance and enhanced innovation. Join a select group of high-caliber professionals for an exclusive program designed to accelerate your career in wholesale distribution. This intensive, 5-day certificate program, led by seven expert faculty members from The Ohio State University, will equip students with the strategic skills and knowledge to navigate industry challenges, drive growth and lead with confidence. The Spring Session is April 29 - May 3, 2024. Learn More.

Interested in membership with NAW? Reach out and let us know how we can help you.