TIPCO Technologies experienced significant growth last year after a merger with HydraTech Industrial in 2023, creating one of the largest independent US distributors of fluid conveyance and sealing solutions and combining HydraTech's decentralized model with TIPCO's centralized operations. Co-CEOs Brad Marshall and Rob Lyons have driven the "One TIPCO" initiative, focusing on organic growth, digital integration and a strong company culture. The company has also made four acquisitions to expand its geographic reach.

Honeywell will split into three independent companies, focusing on automation, aerospace and advanced materials. The break-up sees Honeywell follow in the steps of other major US conglomerates such as General Electric and Alcoa. The break-up is aimed at making the businesses more agile and enhancing shareholder value.

The personal consumption expenditures price index, the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation measure, rose 2.6% from the prior year in December. The figure was above the central bank's 2% target and a larger gain than in November. A core measure that excludes food and energy costs gained 2.8% annually and 0.2% from the prior month.

A Gartner survey shows that 72% of supply chain organizations are using generative AI, but most see only moderate productivity and ROI gains. Gartner advises chief supply chain officers to focus on organizational productivity, creativity and innovation to reduce employee anxiety and improve performance at the team level.

The new 10% US tariff on Chinese imports will likely increase production costs for American manufacturers that rely on Chinese components, particularly in industries such as electronics, home supplies and car parts. While manufacturers might initially absorb some of the tariff's cost, they may later adopt a mix of strategies, such as passing some costs on to end consumers, reevaluating their supply chains or adjusting margins.

Startup Harbinger plans to offer its Class 5 stripped chassis electric trucks at prices comparable to traditional gas and diesel vehicles. CEO John Harris says the company achieves this through strategic engineering and production methods, including in-house battery pack assembly, which reduces costs and eliminates the need for middlemen. Harbinger has raised $200 million since its 2021 inception and has orders for 4,690 vehicles.

Revenue fog occurs when distributor sales teams lack insight into which activities drive revenue due to disconnected data and ineffective tracking methods, leading to inefficiencies and unpredictable growth, writes Proton.ai CEO Benj Cohen. By centralizing data and using AI tools to link targeted sales activities to outcome, distributors can gain clarity and make smarter decisions toward growth.

A LinkedIn report highlights five trends in B2B marketing including a shift to revenue-centric metrics, the use of AI for attribution and the need for ROI frameworks for brand marketing. The report -- featuring insights from companies such as Microsoft and ServiceNow -- emphasizes the importance of linking metrics to revenue and balancing short-term and long-term performance measurements.

Coercing your team to perform or expecting them to conform to often biased standards is part of what Kim Scott, author and co-founder of Radical Candor, calls "brutal ineffectiveness," which Scott writes can lead to discrimination, bullying and harassment. Scott recommends a culture of collaboration and cooperation where all leaders face checks and balances that are "baked into the company's management systems, processes and organizational design."

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