The producer price index in March was up 2.1% from a year earlier, the biggest rise since April 2023. Prices were up only 0.2% from the previous month, less than the 0.3% analysts expected. Core PPI, which strips out food and energy, rose 0.2% for the month, in line with expectations.

Plumbing and heating materials distributor Ferguson plans to add three smaller distribution centers -- 350,000- to 750,000-square-foot automated warehouses close to major US cities -- by the end of 2025 to speed up delivery and gain a larger share of the construction market. Ferguson plans to open these centers in all major US cities, adding to the four existing centers and 10 larger regional distribution centers.

The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors commended the Senate's approval of a Congressional Review Act resolution overturning the National Labor Relations Board's joint employer rule. "Yesterday's Senate vote delivers a clear bipartisan mandate, rejecting the NLRB's harmful joint employer rule and protecting American businesses and workers from more red tape," said Lauren Williams, associate vice president of government relations at NAW, calling on President Biden to sign the bill.

Distributors should view generative AI as "a power tool for knowledge work" that can boost productivity and is a vital part of distributors' digital transformation, but it requires training, finding a use case, establishing a policy on how employees should use it and supporting those workers who genuinely want to take it to the next level, says GAI Insights CEO Paul Baier. "If you don't provide a work environment to embrace this, you will lose your top talent," Baier says.

Authorities in Panama are working on a workaround to keep goods flowing between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans through the Panama Canal after restrictions on traffic were imposed in response to recent drought conditions. The so-called Multimodal Dry Canal project uses existing transportation infrastructure such as roads to create a land-based alternative to the canal in a bid to reduce congestion.

Erica Santiago dives into why short-form videos have continued to be popular, looking at the trend from the viewpoint of consumers and of creators and brands. For example, videos of less than 60 seconds are preferred by 73% of consumers, who can watch them anywhere and scroll through multiple messages, while they can be less costly for brands and creators, though the content still needs to be compelling.

As routine tasks are increasingly automated by generative AI, companies are shifting their focus in terms of staffing requirements, training and upskilling, experts say. Improving soft skills and learning to use AI "will empower people to thrive in new hybrid roles, ensuring both the human and technical aspects of work complement and enhance each other," says Pragashini Fox, Thomson Reuters' head of talent and diversity.

Filings for bankruptcy among US companies hit a fresh high in March at 59, up from 48 in February, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. Bankruptcy filings have steadily increased since the beginning of 2024 and are likely to remain elevated amid waning expectations that the Federal Reserve will meaningfully lower interest rates this year.

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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.

Join us on May 22 at 1 pm ET for the next webinar in our "How-to with NAW" series. Each episode is a micro-revolution for your distribution business, delivering practical takeaways and actionable steps you can implement immediately.