It’s that time of the year again when Distribution Center magazine brings you the broadest landscape possible about the nation’s budget: where we are and where we’re going.
I had a chat with Mike Reilly, president of EWC Controls, and we talked about what he does regarding forecasting. I wanted one manufacturer and one wholesaler (see the interview with Jeff Corken) to give me a “from the ground view” of how they forecast. I suspect most of us do it somewhat similarly, but it’s helpful to confirm that what you’re doing is sensible or considering an adaptation from your current approach to something new.
I had a chance to catch up with Jeff Corken, president of Florence, Ky,.-based The Corken Steel Products Co., to capture a glimpse of what they do regarding forecasting on the wholesale side of the HVACR industry in the Midwest.
I want to write this column about why you should attend the HARDI conference. I’ve written a variant of this column with that slant over the years, even when I was not the editor of HARDI’s official publication.
While the lineup for the Operations & Logistics Focus Conference produced the same high-caliber presenters that one expects from a HARDI gathering, this one had several surprises.
I had a recent conversation with someone pitching me a story about their company and how they could help with the supply chain issues of HVACR wholesalers.
Some months back, I needed to visit several well-respected HARDI distributor and manufacturer websites. I’ll refrain from identifying anyone, but I was more than mildly surprised at how lacking several seemed. Sure, it’s easy to point fingers, but when I recognized obvious faux paus … it got me churning mentally.
They came, they saw and they bought. When Akron, Ohio-based Famous Supply (a division of Famous Enterprises) realized they needed more space in their Columbus market, they jumped at the chance when an existing building became available.
Is there ANY business activity that receives more scrutiny than the venerable meeting? Its importance is enough to gain the attention of a Harvard Business professor, and business leaders are always ready to share their pearls of wisdom about the benefits and wastefulness of meetings. They are like coffee, the most studied “drug” (OK, caffeine) in the world.
After reading HARDI President Bill Bergamini’s letter in this issue, l was struck by the truism of his observation that arguably, the distribution industry “seems” to lose out to more glamorous professions for attracting budding talent.
