The MDM Podcast

Many distribution companies assume they're not interesting enough for social media. Kevin Keigley, Marketing Manager at IPS Packaging and Automation, disagrees. In this episode of the MDM Podcast, Keigley shares how he built a brand presence for a 50-year-old packaging distributor and emphasizes the power of storytelling in connecting with customers and attracting talent.

Takeaways:

• Authentic storytelling builds brand trust and attracts top talent.
• Brand storytelling is more urgent than ever, especially in the age of AI and digital marketing.

Kevin Keigley will be presenting "The Power of Storytelling" at NAW's SHIFT Conference in Denver on May 13. Register here: https://www.naw.org/events/shift-2026/

In this sponsored MDM Amplify podcast episode, Canals Co-Founder and CTO Erez Arnon joins to unpack what MDM’s latest AI research reveals about customer service as one of distribution’s highest-impact use cases. Just as importantly, Arnon shares practical guidance on how to vet AI vendors in a crowded, hype-filled market, including key red flags and must-have proof points.

AI is reshaping distributor CRM — but only when backed by the right platform strategy. In this episode of MDM Amplify, LeadSmart Co-Founder CEO Kevin Brown breaks down smart AI adoption, data integration and how distributors can turn customer intelligence into measurable growth. We also touch on his 30 years of perspective in the industrial supply channel and share takeaways from NAW's 2026 Executive Summit.

As platform acquisitions continue to reshape industrial distribution, Singer Industrial is taking a different path. In this episode of the MDM Podcast, President Pete Haberbosch explains the company’s “coordinated autonomy” model — a strategy designed to preserve local leadership, legacy brands and entrepreneurial culture while still capturing the benefits of scale. The conversation covers Singer’s M&A philosophy, leadership development, systems integration approach and what the company is seeing across its core industrial end markets as it looks toward 2026.

Tariffs are no longer episodic shocks — they are structural operating costs for transportation and distribution companies. With margins tight and sourcing uncertainty set to last, the question now is how leaders manage them profitably. In this sponsored MDM Amplify podcast, three Grant Thornton leaders cover how T&D organizations are managing tariff exposure, protecting cash flow and building flexibility under sustained pressure.

Divested from Grainger in late 2023, metalworking and industrial supplies distributor E&R Industrial is entering a new chapter marked by independence, modernization and rapid expansion. CEO Joe Stephens stops by to tell us about what the company’s next couple of years might look like, as well as his broader thoughts on relationship selling, what it means to be tech-enabled and the role of vending today.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act delivers long-awaited tax clarity for distributors — but only for those who know how to use it. In this sponsored MDM Amplify Podcast, Grant Thornton leaders explain the OB3's biggest implications, from bonus depreciation to new production deductions, and share how distributors can turn tax certainty into a strategic advantage.

We cut through the common misconception that digital transformation and commerce is purely about technology. Joined by distribution, eCommerce and AI experts Devashish Saxena and Lance Owide, we explore why successful transformation is ultimately a human-first journey — driven by people, culture and alignment across the business. The discussion also covers how distributors can approach AI with intention, the evolving role of digital leadership and why clarity of purpose matters more than chasing the latest tools.

Steve Snower joined Parts Town as its sixth employee in 2004. Today, the company is a leading distributor of OEM replacement parts, now on pace for nearly $2.8 billion in annual revenue. He joins to reflect on how Parts Town got here, what it's been up to lately — which includes an employee ownership program, service expansion and digital innovation — and where it's going.

Sponsored by Grant Thornton, this podcast episode features a trio of specialists to discuss the moves that distributors and transportation providers are making to go from reacting to the new normal of constant disruption, to getting the head of the curve to be ready for whatever comes next. Tariffs are only one piece of that puzzle.