Inflation Metrics, Tariff Refunds, and AI Pricing Models with Guest Mark Gilham of Enable

Is wholesale distribution entering its most disruptive era yet?In this episode of Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution, Kevin Brown, Tom Burton, and Mark  Gilham of Enable unpack the forces reshaping the B2B supply chain: inflation measurement debates, Federal Reserve strategy, tariff refund accounting risks, buying group consolidation, maritime trade choke points, and the growing influence of AI on distributor–manufacturer relationships. This episode explores how data-driven decision making is shifting the industry from relationship-based instinct to AI-powered commercial intelligence, and what that means for distributors, manufacturers, CFOs, and industry leaders.What You’ll Learn:The difference between core inflation vs trimmed average inflation, and why the metric matters for CFO planning, pricing strategy, and capital investment decisionsHow a more flexible Federal Reserve approach impacts interest rate modeling, debt refinancing, and working capital strategy in wholesale distributionWhy tariff refunds create accounting, tax, and downstream pricing pressure, and how distributors and manufacturers should prepareThe real impact of global maritime choke points like the Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal, Panama Canal, and South China Sea on supply chain resilienceWhy buying groups like Evergreen are consolidating, and how rebate economics drive churn and competitive pressureHow AI could disrupt traditional distributor–manufacturer relationships by prioritizing margin analytics, pricing optimization, and product substitution models over loyaltyEpisode Highlights:03:22 – Mark  Gilham explains how Enable connects manufacturers and distributors through rebate and pricing intelligence11:45 – Core inflation vs trimmed average inflation: what’s the difference and why does it matter for distributors?24:41 – A Greenspan-style Fed strategy: how rate uncertainty changes business forecasting42:30 – Tariff refund accounting risks and downstream pricing pressure across the supply chain57:45 – The six global maritime choke points and why “just-in-time” models increase fragility1:00:41 – Why Evergreen shut down and what buying group consolidation means for distributors1:14:42 – Manufacturers’ growing concern: will AI override decades of channel relationships?1:23:48 – “It all depends on the brief the AI has.” How AI configuration shapes profitability and channel outcomesMeet the Guest:Mark  Gilham is a former distributor CFO and now a leader at Enable, a pricing and rebate management platform focused on helping manufacturers and distributors trade more intelligently in the B2B ecosystem. His expertise bridges finance, pricing strategy, rebate optimization, and AI-driven commercial execution.Tools, Frameworks, and Strategies Mentioned:Enable Rebate Management and Pricing IntelligenceLeadSmart Enterprise Growth PlatformRevenue Expander white space analyticsPrediction market data modeling for interest rate forecastingAI-driven commercial optimization and margin normalization modelsClosing Insight:“Future decisions are not going to be made based on a relationship. They’re going to be made based on what the AI model tells the distributor.”As wholesale distribution evolves, the competitive edge will belong to organizations that combine trusted relationships with structured data, commercial intelligence, and AI-ready infrastructure.Leave a Review: Help us grow by sharing your thoughts on the show.Learn more about the LeadSmart AI B2B Sales Platform: https://www.leadsmarttech.com/Join the conversation each week on LinkedIn Live.Want even more insight to the stories we discuss each week? Subscribe to the Around The Horn Newsletter.You can also hear the podcast and other excellent content on our YouTube Channel.Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok.