There were 309 million square feet of industrial real estate under construction in the third quarter, a 43% decrease from the previous year, Cushman & Wakefield reports. Meanwhile, the vacancy rate for industrial real estate rose to 6.4%, compared with 4.6% in the same quarter last year. "There's not this rush to get something built right away," said Cushman's Jason Price.

Dakota Supply Group, a Minnesota-based electrical distributor, has opened a 60,000-square-foot branch and distribution center in Butte, Mont., that is close to major interstates and will serve as a hub for DSG locations across the state, including Billings, Bozeman and Missoula. The expansion aims to enhance DSG's capacity to meet local and regional customer needs in electrical, communications, plumbing, waterworks, HVAC and utility.

Roofing supplier Beacon has expanded its reach into the West and Southeast with four new branches in Pelham, Ala., Queen Creek, Ariz., Port St. Lucie, Fla. and Bellingham, Wash. The expansion allows the company to increase product and service offerings, improve resource sharing and better serve customers in high-demand regions.

The 2025 Third-Party Logistics Study underscores the strategic role of AI and change management in optimizing ecommerce supply chains. Led by C. John Langley, a professor of supply chain and information systems at Penn State, the study underscores the necessity of change management in deploying AI technologies effectively.

Failing to communicate to customers about the ways your business is providing value may lead to a loss of that relationship, said Shelley Simpson, president of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, at the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals conference on Tuesday. Simpson shared the five-point "Customer Value Delivery" framework J.B. Hunt uses to structure the company's approach to excellence, starting with figuring out what the customer needs and ending with looking ahead to new avenues for working together.

Industrial distributors are being encouraged to transform their sales strategies from product-focused to customer-centric models to stay competitive. Mike Kunkle, vice president of sales effectiveness services at SPARXiQ, writes that these approaches involve understanding customer needs, creating seamless omnichannel experiences and using analytics for informed decisions. Kunkle identifies pillars that distributors can use to boost customer satisfaction, streamline operations and drive growth.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill 98 into law, imposing stricter siting and design requirements on new warehouse projects starting in 2026. Under the law, warehouses must be located away from sensitive sites like homes and schools and be situated on major thoroughfares or commercial roads. It also addresses the state's housing shortage by requiring developers to compensate displaced tenants and replace any demolished affordable housing units.

Leaders need to have important -- even difficult -- conversations with their direct reports, but Marlene Chism warns leaders to delay those discussions if they are angry or unprepared or if the person they need to speak with is already in a heightened emotional state to allow time for preparation and calm to return. "While initiating conversations sounds simple, starting conversations at the wrong time can escalate problems," Chism writes.

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. Hurry, the fall program is October 21 – 25, 2024. Learn More.

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 in Washington, D.C., January 27 -29, for NAW's Executive Summit, bringing together the best and brightest leaders from the wholesale distribution industry. Learn more here.