Wholesale inventories fell by 0.5% in December after a 0.1% decline in November, per Census Bureau data. Wholesale inventories declined 0.1% from a year earlier to $898 billion. Meanwhile, retail inventories dropped 0.3% to $823.3 billion but remained 5.7% higher than a year earlier. 

The power transmission and motion control industry has experienced significant consolidation over the last two decades, reshaping the landscape for distributors and manufacturers. The latest MDM Podcast features industry veterans Brian Short and Bill Shepard discussing changes in the sector, AI's role in industrial distribution, the Product Information Exchange Platform and collaboration between distributors and manufacturers to improve product data sharing.

Motion, a distributor of maintenance, repair and operations replacement parts, is acquiring the operating assets of Maguire Bearing, a Hawaii-based industrial distributor of bearings, couplings, v-belts, electric motors and other products since 1955. The deal expands Motion's presence in the Pacific Rim and Hawaii markets and is expected to be finalized by the end of February. Maguire includes three branches in Kapolei, Kahului and Hilo, along with its Honolulu headquarters.

US and British vessels have cautiously returned to Red Sea shipping lanes after Yemen's Houthi rebels announced they would end their attack campaign against shipping. The Joint Maritime Information Center reports that six ships have safely transited since the rebels declared the ceasefire.

The US truckload market is showing signs of gradual improvement, with a tightening of the gap between contract and spot rates and an increase in tender rejections in major markets such as Dallas and Chicago. However, Los Angeles has softened, indicating the potential for a national decline in rejections. Knight-Swift's recent earnings highlight this trend, with less-than-truckload revenue rising 20.2% year over year and truckload revenue falling 4.4%.

The infographic created by Sopro provides a visual representation of the critical B2B lead generation statistics for 2025, offering insights into the most important trends identified by the researchers. Among the trends highlighted are that emotions are crucial to leverage in lead gen campaigns and high quality content is one of the most effective lead gen strategies.

Sens. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. and Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., have reintroduced the Promoting Resilient Supply Chains Act in an effort to strengthen the supply chain. Key components of the proposal include more robust oversight, gap assessments, a working group on monitoring protocols, consistent reporting and support of domestic manufacturing.

The Federal Reserve held its benchmark interest rate steady at the conclusion of its policy meeting this week, noting that the job market is "solid" and inflation "remains somewhat elevated." Fed Chair Jerome Powell said that with "the economy remaining strong, we do not need to be in a hurry to adjust our policy stance."

Prioritize your organization's greatest asset — your people. NAW’s premier education programs, such as the online Management Academy and the in-depth Distribution Leadership Program at THE Ohio State University, are designed to equip your high-potential employees with the skills and insights they need to lead and succeed. Ensure your rising stars are prepared to drive your business forward by investing in their growth today. Learn more about how NAW can help you develop the leaders of tomorrow.

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