TTI has operated as an independent-thinking, focused company since its early 1970s founding, even after its 2007 acquisition by Berkshire Hathaway, says founder Paul Andrews Jr. "I'd say Berkshire Hathaway gives our suppliers a secure feeling, and the heads of those companies are not afraid to talk about future opportunities with us," he says.

Driverless forklifts offer the potential for warehouses and distribution centers to cope with a tight labor market while curbing product damage and improving workplace safety, writes Toby Gooley. Autonomous forklifts are now able to navigate without wires or tape to guide them, and companies are developing software specific to these machines.

This infographic shows key insights from Chief Marketer's 2020 B2B survey, including that marketers report email, search and content, respectively, as the best strategies for delivering leads with the highest return on investment. Some 57% of respondents say engaging targeted prospects is their toughest lead generation challenge, and video was chosen as the top social tactic with LinkedIn named the most effective platform.

State Street Chief Marketing Officer Hannah Grove talks about the importance of brand experience in business-to-business marketing, which must combine a digital-first approach with a human touch. She also discusses how trust and emotions are interlinked from a B2B buyer's perspective, the rise of microinfluencers and developing communities among employees and social users.

Companies must constantly redirect resources and personnel to create new products, services and value before yesterday's successes fade away, writes Mike Shipulski. Such innovation also requires different ways of thinking, working and measuring, including looking externally for help.

Asking your team, "At the end of our time when we're successful, what will you say I did?" gives employees the opportunity to shape the work and holds everyone accountable for what happens next, writes Art Petty. "Few other questions sow the seeds of trust, respect and accountability as powerfully as this one," he argues.

We are at a historically high level of merger-and-acquisition activity among wholesaler-distributors. "Mergers and Acquisitions for Distributors: Expert Advice for Buyers and Sellers" provides information that probably can't be found anywhere else as it navigates M&A in wholesale distribution. It covers the importance of getting professional guidance, selecting the best people to assist with M&A and bringing advisers into the buying or selling process as early as possible. Download our free pocket guide for a peek.

According to Benj Cohen, "In 2015, researchers at Forrester estimated that B2B e-commerce would reach $1 trillion by 2020. They were wrong: B2B e-commerce topped $1 trillion two years ahead of schedule. The industry is changing quickly, and distributors rarely get the chance to step back and plan for the future." He reviews the biggest development of the last few years and offers a cutting-edge strategy that distributors can use to dominate in the next decade. Read his post.

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