PODCAST · business
The Wholesale Change Show
by Jonathan Bein, Ian Heller
Wholesale Change is a weekly live news show for the distribution industry, hosted by Ian Heller and Mark Brohan. Each episode dives into the stories that actually matter to distributors—earnings reports, M&A, AD and buying group developments, Amazon Business, AI, and the strategies behind the headlines.
Episodes
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Wholesale Change: Fastenal’s Big-Account Surge, DigiKey’s 50% Growth Bet, and Two Storied Wholesalers Winding Down
Fastenal just posted a 15.5% quarter, but where did the growth come from? Ian Heller and Mark Brohan dig into the early earnings season, from Fastenal’s reliance on big enterprise accounts and its trimmed digital sales target to what AI is doing to inventory ordering times. Amazon Business…
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Wholesale Change: What M&A Buyers Really Want, McLane’s Driverless Trucks, and AI’s Failing Grade at the Parts Counter
Earnings season is about to kick off, and the deal scorecard is already coming into focus. Ian Heller and Mark Brohan break down what the latest M&A data says about why investors keep piling into MRO, fasteners and HVAC while construction supplies, where White Cap has the field largely to itself,...
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Home Depot's SRS Expansion Spree, Winsupply's Run to $10B, and Distribution's Frontline Workforce Gap
Distribution Strategy Group's "Wholesale Change" dives into Home Depot's aggressive branch expansion plan, which includes up to 50 new SRS locations as it pushes deeper into plumbing and HVAC behind its Mingledorf acquisition. We also unpack branch strategy across the industry, from Grainger's…
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Wholesale Change: AD Buys Back SupplyForce, Rexel's $1.4B Data Center Bet, and Is Walmart Distribution's Sleeping Giant?
Distribution's buying-group wars are heating up again. Ian Heller and Mark Brohan dig into AD's reacquisition of SupplyForce, the national-accounts platform AD spun out decades ago and is now folding back in-house — its 18th acquisition to date — and what that means for independents trying to...
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Wholesale Change: Fastenal's Secret AI Buy, Watsco's Plumbing Play, and Diesel Hits $6.28
Hosts Ian Heller and Mark Brohan dig into a busy week in wholesale distribution and what it means for industry leaders. We start with Fastenal's quiet acquisition of Rampp.ai, an agentic AI platform the industrial distributor has never formally announced, and what it signals about building AI...
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Wholesale Change: AI Agents, Sysco's $500M Cost Cut, and a CEO Shake-Up in Distribution
Distribution Strategy Group’s “Wholesale Change” is back! Hosts Ian Heller and Mark Brohan are joined by Brian Hopkins to break down a busy week in wholesale distribution and what it means for industry leaders. We start with customer service in the age of AI agents, then dig into Sysco’s plan to...
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Wholesale Change: Wholesale Change: The Chief AI Officer Trend, Ferguson's $1.6B Bet, and What PMI Really Means for Distributors
Distribution Strategy Group's "Wholesale Change" is back! Hosts Ian Heller and Mark Brohan dig into a busy week in wholesale distribution and what it means for industry leaders. We start with Home Depot, Lowe's and Sysco all formalizing a chief AI officer role, and ask whether that title actually...
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Wholesale Change: News, Analysis, and Opinions for Distributors
Wholesale Change is a weekly live news show for the distribution industry, hosted by Ian Heller and Mark Brohan. Each episode dives into the stories that actually matter to distributors—earnings reports, M&A, AD and buying group developments, Amazon Business, AI, and the strategies behind the...
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Inside Chadwell Supply: How a Great Culture Drives Great Business
This episode of The Wholesale Change Show features Mark Chadwell, who shares how Chadwell Supply became the largest privately owned multifamily maintenance supplier in the US. With a faith-driven, employee-focused culture and advanced technology, they serve over 50,000 customers across 36...
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How Sonepar is Driving Real Value from AI
Watch on-demand for an exclusive pre-conference conversation with Don Sarno, Senior Vice President of Digital Enterprise Americas at Sonepar, as he shared insights ahead of his session at the Applied AI for Distributors Conference in June. In this engaging discussion, Don explored the...
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Navigating the Industry’s Challenges: A Conversation with ISA CEO Brendan Breen
Listen to this episode of The Wholesale Change Show, featuring special guest Brendan Breen, CEO of the Industrial Supply Association (ISA). ISA’s annual convention, ISA25, starts March 31 in Nashville. The organization – which serves distributors, manufacturer reps and manufacturers – continues…
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Voomi: Leading the Ongoing Evolution of Distribution Channels
Voomi is an ecommerce HVAC distributor that works with OEMs and other distributors to provide an extremely wide assortment of products to customers across the U.S. The company gives their supply partners access to new customer segments and regions so they can expand their markets. Listen now to...
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Wholesale Change 100th Episode Celebration
Over the past four years, The Wholesale Change Show has featured CEOs from MSC Industrial, Global Industrial, Zoro, Lawson Products, Johnstone Supply and dozens of other leading distributors. It’s the most informative and entertaining webcast and podcast in distribution! Watch on-demand for a...
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Economic Update: What to Expect in Late 2024 and Beyond
The second half of 2024 has been defined by uncertainty, with the election looming and economic indicators wavering. Alex Chausovsky, a highly experienced market researcher and analyst, clarified the murky forecast when he joined Wholesale Change hosts Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein to talk about...
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From Energy Policy to Talent: Industry Insights with NAED’s Wes Smith
Watch on-demand as hosts Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein sit down with Wes Smith, the president and CEO of the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED). Wes started his current position in January 2024, but he’s no stranger to the electrical industry or the association. He spent more...
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How Zoro Succeeds by Helping Distributors Succeed: An Interview with Zoro President Sandy Mattinson
On this episode of The Wholesale Change Show, we welcomed Zoro President Sandy Mattinson. Zoro is an ecommerce platform that helps businesses thrive by offering an endless assortment of products for every business need. Launched in 2011, the Grainger subsidiary has grown rapidly to over 600 team...
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All the Buzz About the Applied AI for Distributors Conference: What Did We Learn?
Watch as Distribution Strategy Group’s Ian Heller is joined by some of the technology leaders who participated in our recent conference, Applied AI for Distributors. During an information-filled, action-packed event, attendees spent two and a half days immersed in the latest information and...
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Unlocking the Power of AI: A Case Study with Millcraft
Can AI truly make a real-world difference, today, in a mid-sized distribution company? The answer is yes and Millcraft is one company who did it by focusing on adopting the latest technology and recruiting and training a workforce that understands how to use it. Among other solutions the company...
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Driving Rapid Growth and Profits with Technology, Talent, Training & Culture
On this episode we welcomed Tim Brooks, CEO and co-owner of Lohmiller & Company, an HVAC distributor in Denver, Colorado. Tim has built a highly successful company based on extensive employee training, aggressive expansion of value-added services, a willingness to invest in new technologies and a...
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Leading Change: Transforming Independent Distributors into a Unified Force
We welcomed Renata Morgan to this episode of the Wholesale Change show. Renata was recently promoted to President of Rheem Northeast Distribution, which is a combination of four previously independent distributors: United Supply Company, P&N Distribution, Mechanical Supply and MCN Distributors.…
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The New BradyPLUS, featuring Chief Marketing Officer Ian Gresham
BradyIFS + Envoy Solutions, a national distributor of janitorial-sanitation, foodservice disposables and industrial packaging products, just unveiled their new name: BradyPLUS. The new corporate identity follows the October 2023 merger of the two companies and is a step toward realizing the...
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How Distributors Can Become More Important to Manufacturers
Traditional and emerging competitors make it more difficult than ever for distributors to hold on to their role as manufacturers’ primary partners in going to market. Marketplaces, large retailers and even options for selling direct to end-users become more tempting to manufacturers when...
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FleetPride CEO Kevin Weadick: Charting a Journey of Success
During his two-decade tenure with Grainger companies, Kevin Weadick demonstrated his versatility across multiple countries and diverse divisions including supply chain, marketing and product management. However, the pinnacle of his Grainger career was the role of president for the company’s B2B...
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AI Done Right: Where Distributors Should Start
AI is powering a new wave of applications in supply chain and warehouse, finance, HR, sales, marketing and customer service. These promise to deliver not just greater efficiency, but also greater effectiveness for distributors. The key, according to AI expert Brooks Hamilton, is to “understand...
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PE Expert Talks Equity Events and M&A Trends
Supply Chain Equity Partners (SCEP) is “North America’s only committed private equity firm focused exclusively on making investments in the distribution and logistics industry,” says Jay Greyson, the firm’s co-founder and partner. He joined hosts Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein, Ph.D. of…
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What Every CEO Should Know About Artificial Intelligence
Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein, Ph.D. were joined by distribution technology expert, Klaus Werner, on the Wholesale Change Show. Klaus is also preparing to deliver a keynote presentation, “AI Applications and Use Cases for Distribution," at our upcoming Applied AI for Distributors Conference. Klaus...
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Channel Trends in Electrical Distribution
What does the increasing pace of M&A activity mean for distributors, manufacturers and reps? How will this change the ecosystem of the industry? * Will the role of manufacturers’ reps evolve so they’re more like VARs? * What happens to associations as distributors consolidate? * How will...
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Making Your Company a Platform for Doing Acquisitions, featuring Ben Hensler of Motion & Control Enterprises
On this episode we welcomed Ben Hensler, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Motion & Control Enterprises (MCE), to the Wholesale Change show. Ben joined MCE in 2021. During that time MCE has seen significant growth, including the acquisition of 10 businesses, enhancing their technical product…
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Keller Logistics Group’s Mission: Bring It All Back to the Community
Keller Logistics Group is killing it. The logistics and distribution business is targeting $165 million in sales this year, nearly double the sales of a decade ago. Their Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG)? $1 billion by 2032. But for CEO Bryan Keller, his work isn’t just about revenue. It’s about…
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The State of M&A in Distribution
This episode of Wholesale Change featured Newton Sears, Managing Director at Greenhill & Co., an advisory-focused investment bank dedicated to M&A, restructurings, financings and capital raising. Newton and his firm work with many distribution firms and publish data about M&A activity within the...
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Culture as the Foundation for Growth, featuring Robyn Pollina, CEO of Palmer-Donavin
On this episode of the Wholesale Change show, we welcomed Robyn Pollina, CEO of Palmer-Donavin. Robyn ascended to the CEO position in 2020 after 25 years at the building materials wholesale distributor, including serving as the company’s CFO. “I shifted from managing day-to-day tasks to...
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Keeping Customers Coming Back for More: Marco Rubber Triples Sales in 2 Years
On this episode, we’re joined by Marty Daley, CEO of Marco Rubber. In two years, Marty’s team has tripled the size of the business – organically and through acquisitions. Whether it’s a $400 seal for a critical application or a tri clamp gasket a customer needs quickly, Marco Rubber offers the…
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Dirk Beveridge - Talent Secrets of Top-Performing Distributors
Watch the Wholesale Change show on-demand as distribution legend Dirk Beveridge shares talent strategies he has learned in decades of working with the world’s best distributors. You need the best team to surpass competitors – and meet customer expectations, especially in the dynamic world of...
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Building Trust in the Channel, feat. Kevin Short, President & CEO, ORS Nasco
In this episode of Wholesale Change, host Ian Heller has a frank conversation with Kevin Short, President and CEO of master wholesaler ORS Nasco. He shares his take on the importance of trust in the distribution channel as it relates to better serving the end-customer. He also shares an update on...
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An Alternative Take on eCommerce, featuring Ryan Loos, ConEquip Parts & Equipment
ConEquip Parts & Equipment is a rapidly growing B2B marketplace. They offer 500,000 parts, represent 3,000 suppliers and $52B in inventory – but you can’t order a thing online! How is this possible and why do they do it? We talked with Ryan Loos, Chief Financial Officer of ConEquip Parts &...
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How Great Culture & Customer Experience Drove Rapid Growth for COE Distributing, feat. J.D. Ewing, CEO
Watch on-demand as we’re joined by the CEO of COE Distributing, J.D. Ewing. J.D. grew the company to $100M+ in 13 years by building a company that creates terrific customer experiences. Most of this growth has been organic. J.D. described COE’s culture as “inclusive, open door, good at listening...
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700% Growth in 3 Years: How Employee Engagement Powers Growth for BCS
In only three years, CEO Eric Chernik has grown Building Controls & Solutions by 700% while retaining the entrepreneurial culture of each company BC&S has acquired. Eric knows that employee engagement drives customer engagement, so he enrolls his team in the company’s goals and strategy with...
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The Secrets to Driving Growth in 2023, featuring Tony Harris of THINC B2B
Tony Harris, founder of THINC B2B, brought his energy and passion for growth to the Wholesale Change Show. He held nothing back in his conversation with hosts Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein on how and why distributors need to realign business intelligence, sales and marketing, finance and IT to…
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How to Turn Inside Sales Reps Into Home-Run Hitters
Some inside sales programs produce marginal results, while others are veritable home runs. What is different in the execution of these home run programs? The superior performance happens in their day-to-day activities as inside sales reps contact customers and prospects, understand their needs,...
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Creating Value with Proactive Inside Sales
When done properly, proactive inside sales should: Grow midsize accounts 15% to 20% Increase gross profit through revenue in higher margin accounts Reduce sales comp for midsize accounts 30% to 40% Increase retention In our experience creating proactive inside sales programs, we have seen the…
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From Industrial to Electrical: Summit Electric CEO Ed Gerber Takes on a New Market
Ed Gerber, CEO of Summit Electric Supply, joins us on this episode of Wholesale Change. Before joining Summit Electric, Ed was the CEO of the Industrial Supply Association (ISA) after holding a number of senior executive roles for industrial distributors. We ask Ed what it was like to switch from...
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How Distributors Should Do Strategic Planning
Every distributor does an annual budget – but that’s not the same thing as formulating a strategy. The budget process is very tactical, focused on current operations and does not typically account for broad industry trends, disruptors or major technology changes. If you don’t want to get...
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Global Industrial’s Outlook on Merchandising
In this episode of Wholesale Change we are joined by Alex Tomey, the Senior Vice President of Merchandising for Global Industrial. Global Industrial is a billion-dollar value-added industrial distributor. Global Industrial offers customers more than a million products — from material handling to...
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Shopping-Cart Sales Are a Small Part of Website ROI
Most distributors we talk to are disappointed in the ROI of their ecommerce investments. When we dig into their complaints, we find that while they know their expenses, the sales attributed to their websites are way off because they only look at shopping-cart revenue. But the shopping cart is...
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Bay Supply Proves Small Distributors Can Build Big Marketplaces
Conventional thinking claims that only distributors larger than a billion dollars can build successful marketplaces. Bay Supply is much smaller than that, but its fastener marketplace is taking off. Like most wholesalers, Bay Supply is facing new marketplace entrants supported by tech startups,...
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Building a Bridge Between Generations, featuring Jeff McLendon
In nearly 20 years with Specialty Building Products, Jeff has served as CFO, President and COO, and now CEO. Throughout his long career, which has included many acquisitions, a company name change (SBP was formerly known as U.S. LUMBER) and most recently, new ownership, Jeff has focused on…
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A Conversation with NAW CEO Eric Hoplin
Eric Hoplin, CEO of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW), joined us on this episode of Wholesale Change. He shared his take on key concerns and trends – including labor, supply chain disruption, digital transformation and more – based on his ongoing conversations with dozens…
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Your B2B Marketplace Strategy: What You Need to Compete
Alex Moazed shared his unmatched experience working with major distributors, technology startups, venture capital firms and manufacturers as they formulate their marketplace strategies. He updated us on the latest trends in B2B marketplaces and share some key lessons distributors need to know as...
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Winsupply: An Ownership Team Under Every Roof
Monte Salsman, President of the Winsupply Acquisitions Group shared principles he has used to foster a successful entrepreneurial culture at WinSupply including: Take ownership. Adopt an expertise habit. Become a professional at developing relationships … especially with people who are difficult...
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Take Back Control of Your Profitability
Inflation and supply chain disruption are wreaking havoc on distributors’ ability to drive profitability. But the time has passed for stopgap fixes. Companies need a plan to mitigate the impact. Leaders’ most urgent task is to secure their companies’ long-term profitability by managing the effect...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Wholesale Change is a weekly live news show for the distribution industry, hosted by Ian Heller and Mark Brohan. Each episode dives into the stories that actually matter to distributors—earnings reports, M&A, AD and buying group developments, Amazon Business, AI, and the strategies behind the headlines.
HOSTED BY
Jonathan Bein, Ian Heller
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Wholesale Change Show have?
The Wholesale Change Show currently has 110 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Wholesale Change Show about?
Wholesale Change is a weekly live news show for the distribution industry, hosted by Ian Heller and Mark Brohan. Each episode dives into the stories that actually matter to distributors—earnings reports, M&A, AD and buying group developments, Amazon Business, AI, and the strategies behind the...
How often does The Wholesale Change Show release new episodes?
The Wholesale Change Show publishes regularly with 110 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Wholesale Change Show?
You can listen to The Wholesale Change Show on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Wholesale Change Show?
The Wholesale Change Show is created and hosted by Jonathan Bein, Ian Heller.
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