Sysco CEO Kevin Hourican, Performance Food Group CEO George Holm and US Foods CEO Pietro Satriano say that independent restaurants are performing better than expected during the pandemic. Separately, Performance Food Group on Wednesday announced fiscal second-quarter profit of $17.6 million on revenue of $6.85 billion.

AmerisourceBergen earned $374.8 million in its fiscal first quarter, up from $187.6 million a year ago. Revenue increased to $52.52 billion versus $47.86 billion a year earlier.

Fastenal's January sales increased by 6.5% year over year on a daily sales basis, with safety products up more than 26% even as the rate of growth for that category continues to slow. Overall US sales increased 4.4%.

Imagining and planning for the worst kind of supply chain disruption is the first step companies should take to achieve resilience against unpredictable circumstances, writes enVista Chief Strategy Officer Gene Bornac. Other areas to address include inventory visibility, forecasting, lead and cycle times, and innovation.

Distribution sales departments tend to dominate their marketing counterparts, but Ian Heller offers 12 ways marketers can showcase themselves and add value to their company. "Follow the Golden Rule of Distributor Marketing: The more often you put relevant offers in front of targeted customers, the more frequently they'll buy," he writes.

There's a fine line between being helpful and being overbearing when working with sales prospects, writes Jay Fuchs. Overly-helpful salespeople often let prospects control conversations, avoid conflicts to a fault and care too much about being liked, Fuchs writes.

Helping team members can hamper their growth when you're doing their work without empowering them, or when your assistance is accompanied by resentment or disappointment, writes Dan Rockwell. "Show respect for people's competence by expecting them to lean into headwinds," he writes.

During this 90-minute open discussion, you'll exchange ideas with a trusted network of C-suite peers in distribution. Companies belonging to this community are from firms that exceed $1 billion in annual sales. There is no formal agenda or speakers -- just you and more than a dozen of your friends in distribution discussing today's pressing issues. Last year, participants shared how they were protecting their employees during the pandemic and more. Don't miss this opportunity. Register today!

David Bauders, CEO of SPARXiQ, says, "It's no secret that for years most distributors have neglected core sales skills training for their sellers. Today, however, the internet, e-commerce, and online resources and communities have enabled a clear shift in buyer behaviors. Most buyers can readily find the information they need and order online, without engaging a seller until late in the buying process. Fundamentally, buyers don't want to talk to sellers about product or application information unless the purchase is new, complex or risky." Read his post.

In NAW's just-released "Strategic Change During Disruption: An Industry Response to Get Smarter, Faster and Stronger," Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein will summarize what they learned through research conducted with distributors, suppliers and customers. They'll provide a roadmap forward: a specific set of recommendations on the strategic actions that the wholesale distribution industry -- and individual companies -- should take to fend off competitors, outflank the disruptors and prepare to take market share and improve profitability. Also watch the companion webinar on demand.