GMS, which was recently acquired by The Home Depot's SRS Distribution, has finalized its purchase of Brown Machinery. The move is part of GMS's broader growth strategy and will help strengthen its distribution presence and service offerings in Oklahoma and North Texas. Brown Machinery will continue operating under its own name, with existing leadership remaining.

Orgill has opened its $81 million Innovation Center in Tennessee, a 553,000-square-foot facility designed to serve as a collaborative hub for testing and sharing ideas. "This building is more than just new walls and new technology. It represents a new chapter for Orgill," CEO Boyden Moore says. The center includes spaces for meetings, events and training sessions, and it will host a US LBM meeting and a vendor conference as its first major events.

US small business sentiment fell in September, with the National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Optimism Index dropping by 2 points to 98.8. The decline reflects concerns about unfavorable operating conditions, inflation and supply chain disruptions. The NFIB reports that 14% of business owners cite inflation as the primary challenge, and 31% plan to raise prices in the next three months.

Supply chain leaders are facing significant margin pressure despite sales growth and productivity gains from AI, according to a West Monroe Partners poll. The poll shows 85% of leaders are feeling the pressure, and many are responding by raising prices and consolidating suppliers. Most leaders say ending tariffs from the Trump administration would ease pressure, but they also warn that such a move would bring challenges, such as operational complexity and wasted investments.

Walmart is partnering with OpenAI to enable purchases through ChatGPT's new Instant Checkout feature, marking the start of a broader collaboration to create AI-first shopping experiences. The feature, which debuted with Etsy and Shopify, allows single-item purchases and plans to expand to multi-item carts.

A survey by Madison Logic and The Harris Poll finds that 73% of B2B marketing decision-makers see AI-generated creative as the future of advertising, with 85% currently investing in machine learning and AI. Other future tactics include personalization at scale, immersive advertising and gamified ads. "The companies that thrive in 2030 are going to be those that adapt," says Liz Ronco, senior vice president of product at Madison Logic.

The International Monetary Fund now projects the US economy will grow by 2% in 2025, up slightly from previous forecasts of 1.9% in July and 1.8% in April. However, this outlook is still lower than the 2.2% predicted a year ago, reflecting ongoing concerns about the impact of tariffs and business uncertainty. The IMF notes that while AI-driven investment has provided a boost, underlying growth fundamentals remain weak, and risks from potential tariff escalations persist.

The most effective managers excel at identifying employees' strengths and placing them in roles where they can thrive, according to research by Research by Virginia Minni, an economics professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Minni analyzed data from a multinational company over 10 years, finding that employees under top managers are 40% more likely to make lateral moves that boost productivity.

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