Distribution Talk

Jerilynn Pintar of Suburban Bolt & Supply shares how strategic leadership, ERP upgrades, and a willingness to embrace change have helped transform her family's distribution business.

Nobody knows it all. An exceptional leader has confidence in their vision and the humility to ask for help to secure it. Jerilynn Pintar, vice president and co-owner of Suburban Bolt & Supply in Detroit, MI, embodies that service-oriented, proactive stewardship.

Jason caught up with Jerilynn to discuss the benefits of joining the family business with professional consulting experience, the joys of navigating multiple ERP upgrades, and the advantages her organization has gained from using a strategic entrepreneurial operating system.

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Suburban Bolt & Supply

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.

This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Special thanks to our sponsors for this episode: Moblico, INxSQL, and Profit2

John Allenbach of Nine Runs reveals why sustainable revenue growth, repeatable sales systems, and long-term potential are changing how buyers evaluate distribution businesses.

John Allenbach's sales career reads like a map of the distribution industry. Those past experiences inform John's current role as Managing Partner at Nine Runs, a consultancy that helps manufacturers and distributors improve teams and processes that drive organizational growth. Nine Runs also offers private equity-related services, including helping PE evaluate risks and implement strategies to close the revenue execution gap pre- or post-acquisition.

Jason caught up with John to get the inside scoop on how the PE landscape has changed in the last 20 years and what those changes mean for distributors who want to sell.

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Nine Runs

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.

This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios

Special thanks to our sponsors for this episode: Motivate, Connected Peers, and INxSQL

Every episode of Distribution Talk begins with the guest's origin story. Alex Chausovsky's origin story IS this episode. As president of 3DM Consulting, Alex distills his impressive knowledge of the geopolitical climate into strategic business advice.

While he would've no doubt succeeded anywhere in the world, it's Alex's trajectory from Kyiv, Ukraine, to the United States that informs his life's work: helping businesses mitigate risk and thrive in times of market uncertainty.

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3DM Consulting

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.

This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios

Special thanks to our sponsors for this episode: Moblico, INxSQL, and Profit2.

How cross-industry conversations help distribution professionals solve what's next

On this episode of Distribution Talk, Jason welcomes back his friend and colleague Marshall Jones of Connected Peers, the virtual network they co-founded to encourage professional, productive relationships within the distribution community. This year, Marshall has taken over the program full-time, allowing Jason to focus his attention elsewhere (hello, AI!). AI has touched nearly every Connected Peers forum in 2026. While many distributors are cautiously experimenting with using AI for marketing and low-stakes planning, Marshall notes that some forum members are getting more curious about the tech and bringing their cohorts along.

Recent discussions include:

• How do we utilize AI inside our WMS?

• How do we integrate AI agents into our customer service protocol?

• Which AI-driven packages are best for bolting onto the ERPs we already use?

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Connected Peers

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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.

This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios

Special thanks to our sponsors for this episode: Motivate, INxSQL, and Connected Peers.

Selling your company is one of the most challenging aspects of owning a business.

In this revisited episode, longtime colleague and Distribution Team Senior Advisor Marshall Jones shares his firsthand perspective on the mental, emotional, and procedural challenges of a business sale. Jason and Marshall review a client case study highlighting critical aspects of securing a successful (and profitable!) sale and tips for avoiding deal-breaking pitfalls.

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.

This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios

Special thanks to our sponsors for this episode: Moblico, INxSQL, and Profit2.

Many distributors fall into the habit of making inventory decisions by gut instinct. Understandable? Yes, considering the vast amounts of historical data that purchasing teams must weigh against future marketplace volatility. Unavoidable? Also yes! Especially when purpose-built AI tools exist.

Jason caught up with Conor Leen, co-founder and president of Lantern, to learn about the company's cutting-edge forecasting methodology and solutions to perennial supply chain pain points like overbuying, missed seasonal stock opportunities, and branch allocation mismanagement. The pair also discuss Lantern's "distribution first" origin story and service-oriented company culture.

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Lantern

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.

This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios

Special thanks to our sponsors for this episode: Motivate, INxSQL, and Connected Peers.

What can distribution warehouse operators learn from the Roman Empire and United States Marine Corps? More than you might think, says Will Quinn, aka The Distribution Guy®.

Jason caught up with Will to discuss the evolution of modern warehouse functionality and pragmatic strategies for improving company performance at the ground-level––from receiving and slotting to picking and packing. Will also shares insights from his latest book, Modern Warehouse Management: Steel-Toed Leadership That Drives Performance, a must-read field guide for distribution center leaders, warehouse managers, and frontline supervisors.

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The Distribution Guy®

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.

This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios

Special thanks to our sponsors for this episode: Moblico, INxSQL, and Profit2

It seems like everyone is using artificial intelligence these days, maybe even your top competitor. But widespread enthusiasm shouldn't deter you from putting AI tools through their paces. Nor should naysayers convince you that the tech is just a fad. So, how do you partner with AI to create distribution-focused solutions without abdicating your innate human expertise? You start by building better AI prompts.

In this solo episode of Distribution Talk, host Jason Bader shares insights from his evolving relationship with generative AI, offering pragmatic tips for business owners and execs who want to gain confidence using models like Claude and ChatGPT. He also provides advice for avoiding the "machine mindset" trap—expecting predictable, repeatable outputs when using AI.

For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.

This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios

Special thanks to our sponsors for this episode: Motivate, INxSQL, and Connected Peers.

Seth Gordon traded a career in finance for the family HVAC distribution business. Today, as CEO of Glacier Supply Group, he brings a fresh perspective to the industry while navigating the challenges of next-generation leadership.

In this revisited conversation, Jason chats with Seth about his journey from finance to duct fittings, the importance of connecting with mentors, and the Glacier team's wildly successful implementation of EOS, the Entrepreneurs Operating System.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn

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For full show notes and services visit: https://www.distributionteam.com

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.

This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Special thanks to our sponsors for this episode:

Moblico, helping businesses do more business on mobile devices.

Profit2, helping distributors charge the right price.

INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

From Profit21 and ERP consolidation to AI-powered knowledge capture, Renata Morgan shares how modern distributors are evolving beyond "the way we've always done it."

What happens when one of the biggest names in HVAC manufacturing invests in independent distribution?

A new entity emerges, swiftly followed by conversations around safeguarding the distributor's company culture, autonomy, and institutional knowledge.

Jason connects with Renata Morgan, president of Rheem Northeast Distribution (RND), a collection of four manufacturer-owned distributors, to learn more about Rheem's foray into this side of the channel. They discusses innovating under an established brand umbrella, retaining critical process knowledge as experienced employees retire, and giving back to the professional community.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Applied AI for Distributors 2026

HARDI

BLUE HAWK

Epicor Prophet21

RECOMMENDED EPISODES

Agentic AI and the Future of Distribution with Ian Heller of Distribution Strategy Group

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Rheem Northeast Distribution

LinkedIn

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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.

This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios

Special thanks to our sponsors for this episode:

Motivate, the #1 Distributor AI Automation Platform. Mention Distribution Talk for 50% off of installation.

INxSQL Distribution Software, integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.

Connected Peers, connecting key employees in distribution's leading organizations.