Our brand of wholesale distribution has to be one of the most people-intensive business models in existence. Sure, we have warehouses, inventory, customer credit, computers and company fleets of cars, trucks and lord knows what else, but people are the driving force of our model.

In the old days, distributors operated as if all civilization ended at the edge of the piece of dirt they called their territory. Overlooking national trends, being caught off guard by new technologies and losing out on the opportunity to shape the future were all symptoms of this limited outlook.

Quietly, without a great deal of fanfare, the roles of chief financial officers throughout the corporate landscape of North American business have changed.

Let’s start with this premise: Nobody totally enjoys change. And when the change involves a price increase, most of us hate the change.

Ah, the joys of being the "middleman." For decades, distributors have been responsible for efficiently passing products from manufacturer-based suppliers to customers.

It was the age of leisure suits and wingtips. Sales offices were richly appointed in thickly shagged carpet and orange metallic furniture.

Etiquette is defined as the rules of proper behavior in society and in professional practice, including actions among members of society or profession in dealings with others.

During recent years, I have assisted dozens of organizations in creating a simple and workable strategic plan.

You’ve gathered the team. Working behind the scenes, nearly all of the departments have gathered numbers and reliable data to build a real plan for next year. The