What does it take to build a $5 billion employee-owned company? For Border States President and CEO Jason Seger, the answer starts with one simple principle: care for people first.In this episode of Driven by DCKAP, Karthik sits down with Jason in Fargo, North Dakota to unpack the servant leadership philosophy behind one of the most unique companies in electrical distribution. From his early days as an intern in 1999 to leading 3,700 employee owners today, Jason shares the defining moments, the relationships, and the culture that have shaped Border States into what it is — and what's driving their ambition to grow from $5 billion to $10 billion.Jason gets candid about the moment early in his career that reframed everything — a late evening conversation with a mentor that made him realize a job could mean something far bigger than the work itself. He breaks down the servant leadership model that drives Border States' 95th percentile employee engagement, why vendor relationships deserve the same investment as customer ones, and how ambitious goal-setting shifts the thinking of an entire organization almost overnight. He also speaks honestly about work-life integration, bringing his family into the fabric of what he does, and why focusing on people first — whether employee owners, customers, or partners — is what ultimately drives the numbers.

In this episode, Karthik sits down with David Gordon to unpack the state of the electrical distribution industry — from data center growth and reshoring manufacturing to the business growth strategies helping distributors go from $25M to $75M in four years.

He shares why people will always be the number one differentiator in distribution, why it's important to focus on customer relations above all, why e-commerce is a facilitator and not a driver, and where AI's real low-hanging fruit actually is.

What does it take to lead a 100-year-old family business — and set it up for the next 100? Brian Schlise, President of APR Supply, joins Karthik Chidambaram on the podcast to share how a fourth-generation wholesale distribution company is embracing automation, succession planning, and bold leadership to stay ahead.Brian breaks down how APR Supply automated 50% of their warehouse operations with AutoStore and robotics, why their 2025 company theme was "be bold — fail fast," and how RFID technology could revolutionize the wholesale distribution industry. He also shares his philosophy on stewardship, what coaching 35 softball teams taught him about leading people, and why he believes industrial automation creates better jobs — not fewer.

Adam Derry, President of Field Fastener, grew up watching his father and uncle build a 12-person fastener company into a 400-person operation growing at 18% year over year. He wasn't sure he'd join. He did anyway — and in 2022, he stepped into the role of President.

In this episode, Karthik Chidambaram sits down with Adam to talk about the real mechanics behind Field's growth: a culture-first operating model, 30 actionable behaviors called the Fieldamentals, and a mission to make sure every customer loves working with them.

They also get into the harder stuff — family business governance, second-generation leadership, succession planning, and what it actually means to have higher expectations for family members than everyone else.

Why would a successful CEO choose an ESOP over private equity? In this episode of Driven by DCKAP, JD Ewing — CEO of COE Distributing — shares why he chose an employee ownership model over a private equity exit, and what that decision means for the future of his business and profitability.But the ESOP decision is only part of the story. JD took over his family's wholesale distribution business at 19 years old with just $225,000 in revenue, built it into a multimillion dollar company, sold it — and then watched the acquiring company go bankrupt. So he started over from scratch, this time alongside his wife Melanie. Today, COE Distributing stands as one of the most profitable independent office furniture distributors in the US — built twice, and better for it.

What does it really mean to build a company that matters?

In this special behind-the-scenes episode, DCKAP Founder and CEO Karthik Chidambaram steps away from the conference floor to share what actually drives him — and the heart behind everything DCKAP does.

From handwriting letters in Tamil every Sunday to keep his mother tongue alive, to turning an empty office into a tuition-free coding school for students in Tamil Nadu, to sponsoring a book fair simply because reading transforms people — Karthik opens up about the initiatives that might never show up on a spreadsheet but define the very culture of DCKAP.

Most family-owned distributors don't make it to the fourth generation. Standard Electric Supply has, and Larry Stern and Matt Stern share exactly how. From untangling a complicated 17-owner inheritance structure to navigating daily acquisition offers from private equity and large consolidators, Larry has spent over three decades building something worth handing down. Now, with Matt stepping into the COO role, the next chapter of Standard Electric's 106-year story of business growth is just getting started.Together they talk succession planning, culture, leadership, and what it actually takes to grow a family-owned distribution business in a market that keeps trying to buy you out. If you're an independent distributor thinking about the future of your business — or just want to hear from two leaders who are doing it right — this conversation is for you.

Most distributors aren't failing at AI because of the technology — they're failing because of the people. Rick Pozniak, Founder & CEO of Move78 Solutions, spent over 30 years inside distribution at Rexel, Westburne, and Gescan before launching a consulting firm dedicated to closing the gap between humans and artificial intelligence. In this episode, Rick breaks down why reskilling, rather than upskilling, is the real key to getting your team to actually use the tools you're investing in, and why honest self assessment is where that journey has to start. Rick walks through his Seven Levels of AI Competency framework, why mid-size distributors may actually have the advantage in the digital era, and why the biggest barrier to AI adoption isn't the technology — it's your people. If you're wondering where to start your AI journey, or why previous efforts haven't stuck, this conversation is your roadmap.

Before most distributors had even heard the word ecommerce, Paul Gatens was already building it. Now, as Vice President of Global Sales at ECI Software Solutions — Paul brings a rare, ground-level perspective on why electrical, plumbing, and HVAC distributors are still having the same conversations about ecommerce adoption that the office products industry was having 20 years ago. In this episode, he gets honest about what's holding distributors back, what's actually working for the ones who are growing, and why the gap between where distributors are and where they need to be is closing faster than most realize.From the critical role of ERP integration in any successful ecommerce business strategy, to the very real ways AI is helping distributors act on their data, Paul makes the case that the online business opportunity in front of distributors right now is massive, as long as they're willing to move. If you're a distributor trying to figure out where to start in B2B ecommerce, what to prioritize, or how to get your team bought in, this conversation is for you.

What does the future of electrical distribution look like — and how can distributors of every size prepare? In this episode, Karthik Chidambaram sits down with Paul Kennedy, President & CEO of DSG and current Board Chair of NAED. They dig into the data center boom driving demand through 2045, why speed of delivery is now more critical than price, and how artificial intelligence is reshaping everything from daily operations to workforce development.

Paul also shares how NAED is equipping distributors — large and small — to compete with the AI impact in a rapidly changing landscape, from leveraging AI Automation and product training programs to championing women in the industry and developing the next generation of distribution talent. This conversation is packed with insights you won't want to miss.