Synnex's deal with Tech Data is proceeding as planned and should close this year, says Synnex President and CEO Dennis Polk, whose company reported fiscal second-quarter profit of $93.1 million on revenue of $5.86 billion. Both were increases from the year-ago period.

Fastenal and Winsupply allowed their employees more flexibility in sourcing products when the usual suppliers were unavailable due to the pandemic. Winsupply has also added to its leadership development, while Lawson Products has invested in sales training.

Temperature control for items such as food and medicine, including COVID-19 vaccines, is only one of the benefits Innovecs Senior Vice President Rocky Osborn sees from using data analytics in supply chains. He adds that businesses could also enhance inventory management, improve order tracking and reduce support costs by effectively applying analytics, though only 17% of companies in a KPMG survey report doing so.

California-based Centerline Drivers sent truck drivers to the Midwest to fulfill a job for six weeks, which is just one way that companies are addressing the driver shortage. Fleets are also recruiting "military veterans, women and younger drivers," says Joseph Giranda of shipper CFR Rinkens.

Business-to-business brands should consider three newer social platforms to drive awareness and engagement -- Clubhouse, Twitter Spaces and Instagram Reels. Taylor Carroll outlines the benefits of each, such as Clubhouse being the perfect channel for thought leadership and the opportunity to showcase products, while Instagram Reels lets you go behind the scenes in your company.

Content marketers will occasionally need to partner with subject matter experts to create content related to specific topics, and Ann Gynn offers advice on identifying, securing and working with the right partners. Gynn's advice includes pros and cons of working with internal and external subject matter experts.

It's a manager's job to build a work environment where everyone knows the rules, where they fit in the larger picture and understand the many ways feedback should flow, writes Art Petty. Unfortunately, "most environments have no guiding values or expectations to help people navigate the sticky parts, which usually involve people and differences of opinion," he writes.

People lie sometimes to avoid conflict, cover up for their perceived inadequacies or because they believe it's best for their goals, writes Liz Kislik. Coach employees on expected behavior but let go of habitual liars because "you can't afford to have other team members think that you're willing to tolerate a culture of lying," Kislik writes.

In this free NAW webinar on June 29, at 2 p.m. Eastern, Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein of Distribution Strategy Group will bring you the latest thinking on why distributors are grappling with fundamental changes in the expectations of their supply chain partners. Register now! Sponsored by Oracle Netsuite.

The distribution industry has worked tirelessly over the past year to keep the economy moving while facing unprecedented challenges. As we look to turn the page on the pandemic, we are better together as an industry of 5.6 million people who collectively contribute $5.8 trillion annually to our country's GDP. Read Mike's column here.

Through NAW's new exclusive Margin Protect for Distributors solution, we, with our partners at Gallagher and Liberty Mutual, can make true impact on distributors' bottom line. Give this video a quick look and hear directly from NAW, Gallagher, and Liberty Mutual leaders about what makes this program a complete game-changer for the distribution industry. Learn more.