Dot Foods plans to build a warehouse in Mount Sterling, Ill.. with an automated storage and retrieval system and robotic product pickers. The project is expected to be completed in 2021.

The freight industry is changing to include more partner collaboration, data-driven decision making and intelligent automation, according to a Deloitte report. Meanwhile, an increased focus on last-mile deliveries caused investment in such startups to more than double in 2018 from the prior year, the report states.

It's important to differentiate between pricing strategies and discounting, the latter of which happens "when we fail to prove and support our value with our target customers," writes David Brock. Pricing strategies focus on how products are to be positioned in the market and affect how products and services are perceived by customers, Brock writes.

Business-to-business buyers have increasingly turned to online marketplaces for technology and software purchases, says Allen Bonde, research director for Forrester Research. Such marketplaces include Amazon Business, Arrow Electronics' portal and industry-specific platforms.

Use the holidays to give yourself rest so you can return ready and refreshed, writes Marilyn Paul. "To find balance in both our personal and our professional lives, to stay energized, to become an authentic leader, we need to add a sense of rhythm to our weeks -- go and then stop, go again and then stop again," she writes.

Growing in popularity within our industry, the NAW Certificate in Distribution Professional Management Program is ideal for high-potential managers who seek to complement their professional development with a strong emphasis on practical application within the distribution field. Three, one-week sessions at Texas A&M University focus on Generating and Managing Growth (Feb. 10-14), Distributor Capability Development (April 13-17), and Optimizing Distributor Profitability (Oct. 19-23). Get all the details and enroll your high achievers today before the seats are gone.

There are times when you need reliable service to meet your customer's delivery requirements. NAW partner UPS Freight LTL Guaranteed AM ensures your delivery arrives before noon every time. Check your eligibility to see if guaranteed a.m. service is in your area. To start shipping with UPS Freight today, enroll in the NAW/UPS Savings Program or call 1-800-MEMBERS (800-636-2377), Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST.

Don't miss the NAW 2020 Executive Summit: INNOVATE TO DOMINATE, Jan. 28-30! This year's forward-looking program and networking with distributors who are your peers will really shake up your thinking, provide you with fresh ideas and critical thinking, and give you a rare chance to benchmark your business. You'll walk away with valuable insights that you'll translate into ideas to help you run your business more effectively and profitably. Register today.

In observance of Christmas, SmartBrief will not publish Tuesday and Wednesday. Publication will resume Thursday.