Amazon Canada has announced plans to open its first distribution center in Quebec. The facility in Lachine is expected to open prior to the 2020 holiday season.

Cardinal Health and Owens & Minor have been awarded Defense Department contracts worth a maximum of $2.25 billion and $1.125 billion, respectively. Both contracts involve locations in 33 states and list federal civilian agencies and the Coast Guard, Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps as customers.

Central Freight Lines won a $2.4 million jury verdict award in a lawsuit against Amazon involving a breach-of-contract dispute regarding less-than-truckload rates. In its complaint, Central says that Amazon "attempted to wield its economic power to force through billing and procedure changes that Central Freight never agreed to," and Michael Angell writes that the lawsuit is symptomatic of the "sometimes testy relationship" Amazon has with the trucking industry.

UPS reported the completion of its first residential prescription drone delivery for partner CVS Health at two homes in Cary, N.C. "We now have an opportunity to offer different drone-delivery solutions, tailored to meet customer needs for speed and convenience," said Scott Price, UPS's chief strategy and transformation officer.

Analysts and economists have been discussing the possibility of an economic recession next year, but many distributors and manufacturers remain confident about the economy as 2020 approaches, writes Bridget McCrea. "I don't expect negative GDP, so I don't expect a recession," says Mayer Electric Supply President Wes Smith.

Provide value to prospects right away through educational content that's crafted for specific parts of the customer journey, writes Amy Balliett, CEO and co-founder of Killer Visual Strategies. Salespeople can also improve their ability to earn clients' trust by becoming thought leaders through conference appearances and guest articles, she writes.

Leaders need to sharpen their mental agility and critical thinking skills to keep up with market changes and move forward, writes Mary Lippitt. She describes six situational mindsets, including one that focuses on inventing and another that explores what lies ahead, that can help leaders shape their thinking amid change.

NAW Institute Fellow Mark Dancer and Mike DeCata, President and CEO of Lawson Products, will have a lively and informative discussion about how distributors can lead in the age of B2B innovation, defeating disruption and reinvigorating our business economy through digital transformation. Register for NAW's Nov. 14 "Welcome to the Age of B2B Innovation" webinar, sponsored by PROS. Can't attend? Register anyway and we'll send you a webinar replay link.

"Innovate to Dominate: The 12th Edition in the Facing the Forces of Change Series" is less a report on trends and more of a roadmap for innovation. It helps 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. Save 10% per copy for a limited time using discount code FFC10 at checkout.

Billion Dollar Company CEOs, CFOs, operation executives, CHROs, CLOs, and CIOs attend these roundtables to benchmark solutions and strategies from distribution executives who are at the top of their game. The companies invited into this community are from distribution firms that exceed $1 billion in annual sales. Participating in this 24-hour, results-focused business meeting is one of the best ways to learn from your C-suite peers in distribution -- who aren't competitors! Register today.