Company Culture Archives

Never Trust a Perfect Growth Strategy

The difference between chasing growth and capturing it: knowing where you can win. AI in the Boardroom for Strategic Growth Planning If AI handed you a perfect roadmap for doubling your business, would you follow it? That’s the question manufacturers and distributors face as they enter annual planning cycles. Forecasts are built. Investments are debated. Last year’s numbers are scrutinized. But AI isn’t looking backward—it’s pointing ahead. The real challenge isn’t whether AI can generate the roadmap. It’s whether leadership teams can envision it clearly enough—and trust it enough—to execute. The [...]

Never Trust a Perfect Growth StrategyJames Dorn2025-09-12T15:21:50-05:00

Tariffs Are Today’s Headline—But Main Street Is Tomorrow’s Movement

Not just selling. Serving. Staying. Building. While tariffs are currently dominating headlines, the most strategic companies aren’t just reacting to today’s pricing pressure—they’re planning for what’s next. They’re using this moment to rethink how they show up in the market, how they create value beyond product, and how they connect with the people and communities they serve. Yes—tariffs matter.They’re shaking up supply chains, pricing strategies, and cost structures in real time. Manufacturers Are Asking: Do we raise prices? Hold steady? Drop to grab share? What’s our competitive posture—and how do we [...]

Tariffs Are Today’s Headline—But Main Street Is Tomorrow’s MovementJames Dorn2025-04-11T16:52:35-05:00

Profitability Playbook: Using Enterprise Pricing Controls

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ePOwP23L1s With softening demand trends ahead, James Dorn and Tom Gale bust the myths of not being able to grow both top-line revenue and margin in challenging market conditions. Deeper customer-product segmentation and full leverage of your internal and external data resources are key to winning share today. You can also listen to this episode of The MDM Podcast now: James Dorn is a regular guest on The MDM Podcast. Listen on your favorite podcast platform. Thoughts? Questions? As always, feel free to reach out to talk in greater depth [...]

Profitability Playbook: Using Enterprise Pricing ControlsJames Dorn2023-10-18T16:17:25-05:00

Panel: Build First-Cost Position to Create Win-Win Supplier Relationships

https://youtu.be/v0Oh2WV9wec In this 2023 Profitability Summit panel discussion, James Dorn and John Gunderson host industry experts sharing insights and experiences on how wholesale distributors and their supplier partners can create win-win relationships through first-cost advantage and customer stratification. They discuss the importance of collaboration, communication and transparency in building strong partnerships, as well as practical tips for identifying and segmenting customers to maximize profitability. Learn how to build successful and sustainable relationships that benefit manufacturers and distributors from Jim Biel, VP Category Management, Blackhawk Industrial, Marty Rossman, Director of Marketing, R.S. [...]

Panel: Build First-Cost Position to Create Win-Win Supplier RelationshipsJames Dorn2023-09-13T11:57:09-05:00

The Data Analytics Journey in Industrial B2B Distribution

https://youtu.be/rmWoXxW-ycE The power of AI as a competitive differentiator is far from being defined. In this conversation, James Dorn and Tom Gale look at the bigger picture of data analytics in distribution, the stages of competency, building blocks and ways organizations are building world-class capability. You can also listen to this episode of The MDM Podcast now: James Dorn is a regular guest on The MDM Podcast. Listen on your favorite podcast platform. Thoughts? Questions? As always, feel free to reach out to talk in greater depth about these and [...]

The Data Analytics Journey in Industrial B2B DistributionJames Dorn2023-09-25T09:22:08-05:00