Grocers and other large retailers use their clout to force distributors to direct food and household goods to their stores over smaller counterparts by enacting stricter delivery requirements and fines for those that didn't comply, according to a Federal Trade Commission report. "Covid just made it more obvious what's been happening for years with us independents," says Robert "RF" Buche, chief executive of South Dakota grocery chain G.F. Buche.

Electrical supplies distributor Border States is acquiring Dominion Electric Supply Co., which will help it expand its East Coast footprint with the North Dakota-based Dominion's nine branches across Virginia and Maryland and more than 300 employees. "As the largest family-owned and operated electrical distributor in the mid-Atlantic, Dominion is a growth-oriented, construction market leader ... [with] dedicated service to a loyal customer base and the power of partnership through strong vendor relationships," said Border States CEO David White, who is stepping down March 31.

Beacon is opening a trio of new locations, including two in Florida, as the roofing and building products distributor continues its rapid expansion. Along with the Florida locations in Fort Myers and Milton, Beacon will open a branch in Saginaw, Mich., its 12th in the state. So far, in 2024, Beacon has opened three branches and completed two acquisitions after announcing nine acquisitions and opening 49 new locations in 2023

With 59% of procurement teams saying they will embrace AI and other advanced technologies this year, according to the annual Voices of Sourcing survey, the process has moved from wondering what this technology can do to figuring out how it will be implemented, says Alan Holland, founder and CEO of Keelvar. As 68% of CPOs prioritize cost management and operational efficiency, these technological advances will play an essential role in freeing up employee time for reviewing strategy, according to the report.

The US Energy Department announced a revised petroleum equivalency factor for electric vehicles with a shift from 82 kWh per gallon to a more stringent 29 kWh/gallon by 2030. The adjustment is intended to reflect real-world conditions more accurately and is part of a broader bid to promote the take-up of electric vehicles and phase out reliance on conventional gasoline-powered cars.

Gartner has identified eight strategic supply chain technology trends that will help leaders in their quest to control and protect businesses and yield competitive differentiation by integrating individuals and machines. These include data governance, AI-enabled vision systems that include 3D cameras, computer vision software and advanced AI pattern recognition technologies and next-generation humanoid robots.

The business-to-business "flippening" is finally happening, the time when B2B marketers are realizing they can drive more growth via brand-building as opposed to performance marketing, write Peter Weinberg and Jon Lombardo, formerly of LinkedIn's B2B Institute. The pair outline campaigns from B2B brands that exemplify "the flippening," noting, "B2B isn't all boring anymore. It's clever, distinctive, and memorable."

Being strategic about headcount management can help companies control costs, streamline operations and avoid overstaffing and layoffs, writes Tushar Makhija, the founder and CEO of TeamOhana. "It provides headlights that allow the company to look forward rather than make difficult decisions in the face of economic challenges," Makhija notes.

Make performance reviews more effective and less stressful by focusing on a team member's strengths and asking them what's working well, where they're struggling, what they're learning and what do they want to try next, writes workplace well-being teacher Michelle McQuaid. "While providing feedback people may find hard to hear can feel uncomfortable, there is nothing kind about robbing people of the opportunities they need for learning and growth," writes McQuaid.

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The difference between leading and lagging distribution companies often rests on the performance of their sales teams. Join Doug Wyatt (SPARXiQ) and industry sales leaders Joe Velleman (Mid-City Supply) and Jeff Weiss (Livingston & Haven) in this panel discussion as they provide insights to help you bridge this gap through strategic upskilling. Register here.

The NAW Company Roundtables are an exclusive community of thought leaders from Billion Dollar and Large Company distribution enterprises who congregate to network with non-competing peers in multiple lines of trade on key issues. Learn more about the many Roundtable event opportunities we offer, and how your leaders can get involved. Learn more.