Winsupply has created Winsupply Acquisitions Group to help the distributor find acquisition opportunities and integrate new partners. Former Winsupply Local Company Group President Monte Salsman will serve as president of the new entity.

KeHE has become the primary perimeter department supplier for Save Mart, including the deli, fresh bakery, specialty cheese and culinary products categories. The company signed a primary distribution contract with MOM's Organic Market last month and was tapped as the primary US distributor for the Independent Natural Food Retailers Association cooperative in June.

Progress in autonomous trucks is already yielding results through companies such as Peloton and Komatsu, writes Benjamin Gordon, managing partner of Cambridge Capital. "Self-driving cars have the sizzle, but self-driving trucks are the steak," he writes.

Tolithia Kornweibel, chief marketing officer at software firm Gusto, talks about why identifying the point at which prospects are ripe for conversion in business-to-business marketing is so tricky, boosting brand awareness and proving the strategic value of a customer-centric approach. "I've just been on a mission internally to demonstrate, and then educate, how thinking about our customers in their natural habitat and creating the proper positioning and outreach to them is a strategic way to grow a business," she says.

Apple's iOS 13 software update released in September gives users control over whether their personal location information is shared with app makers and bans some publishers from tracking location altogether. This change could result in less available data and rising prices for marketers, along with difficulties for attribution vendors, writes George Slefo.

Leaders can help employees avoid burnout by creating a positive workplace, allowing for personal time and providing opportunities to advance, John Baldoni writes. Ways to help yourself get through the day include focusing on gratitude and using quick mental visualization techniques to imagine serene or joyful surroundings.

Mark Dancer, author of NAW's upcoming "Innovate to Dominate: The 12th Edition in the Facing the Forces of Change Series," will share insights, ideas and tools from the study that he gathered through extensive research and creative brainstorming with distributors and other thought leaders and innovators. Mark will discuss how distributors can take the lead in the emerging age of B2B innovation, defeating disruption and reinvigorating our business economy through digital transformation. Register today! Sponsored by PROS.

"Innovate to Dominate: The 12th Edition in the Facing the Forces of Change Series" is different from the previous 11 editions. It's less a report on trends and more of a roadmap for innovation. It's about helping distributors connect the dots between the forces of change and how distributors can change their business to capture opportunities ... and defend their business when necessary. The best innovations are about getting ahead instead of catching up. Let "Innovate to Dominate" show you the way.

This study brings together best practices from leading distributors and their suppliers that were developed through a consortium on Optimizing Channel Compensation. The resulting Channel Alignment Framework is the first-of-its-kind map that seeks to build optimal manufacturer-distributor channels. Distributors need to read this book and buy it for their manufacturer partners. Then they need to sit down with those suppliers and properly plan effective processes to get the supplier market access while meeting distributor investment needs.