S7E7: David Ruggles' Unique Perspective on Digital Transformation

FromThe MDM Podcast

Start listening View podcast show

S7E7: David Ruggles' Unique Perspective on Digital Transformation

FromThe MDM Podcast

ratings:

Length:

42 minutes

Released:

Aug 24, 2022

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

Serving as President of Martin Supply and chairman of ISA, David Ruggles stops by to discuss digital initiatives from both his company and the association, as well as the progress the greater industrial distribution sector has made on that front.

Released:

Aug 24, 2022

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (99)

The distribution industry is changing, with new players and technologies that will shape how you compete and sell. Stay ahead of your competitors with this regular series from Modern Distribution Management, and learn the trends and strategies that will keep you in the lead for the long haul.

Skip carousel

S7E3: The Evolving Role of Associations & Buying Groups: Ranga Bodla, NetSuite's head of Industrial Marketing, stops by to discuss how the role of distribution associations and buying groups has evolved over the past decade — particularly from 2020 onward — and his company's newly-launched initiative to... by The MDM Podcast
24 min listen
S7E4: Fragmentation isn’t Just Sector-Wide, it’s Within Each Market: We all know the distribution sector is highly fragmented, but to what extent? A chat with McKinsey partners Alex Abdelnour and Kevin Sachs dives into the state of fragmentation within various markets and the factors that separate leading distributors... by The MDM Podcast
28 min listen
Quicktake 07.22.22: Innovation from Major Deals Challenges PE Playbook: Mike Marks and Tom Gale explore the impact of recent landmark acquisitions and how the mission of strategic deals runs counter to that of private equity. by The MDM Podcast
20 min listen
Quicktake 10.21.22: Mindsets for Managing a Slowdown: Beyond tried and true strategies for managing the back side of economic downturns, MDM’s Tom Gale and IRCG’s Mike Marks look at unique and deeper factors the current market outlook is triggering for distributors – inventory exposure and... by The MDM Podcast
20 min listen
Quicktake 09.16.22: Amazon’s Trade Practices Under Fire: In this latest MDM Quicktake podcast conversation, IRCG’s Founding Partner Mike Marks and MDM’s Tom Gale examine a California lawsuit against Amazon, the trade practices at play for distributors, and the broader issues for how distributors can... by The MDM Podcast
17 min listen
S7E8: Grainger’s CFO Talks Tech Stack, Pricing Strategy and More: We chat with Dee Merriwether, CFO of Grainger, which took the top spot on MDM’s Top 2022 Industrial Distributors list. Our conversation covers the MRO giant’s risk mitigation, pricing strategy, how analytics have shaped its digital offerings, and... by The MDM Podcast
32 min listen
Industry Voices: Insights from ISA’s Women In Industry Summit: In this episode, you’ll hear from leaders at Vallen Distribution, Stanley Black & Decker, LineDrive and the Founder/CEO of 12 Ace Hardware stores in the Mid-Atlantic region. MDM Program Director & Producer Spencer Gale captures industry... by The MDM Podcast
24 min listen
S7E13: Jay Platt’s Passion for Learning and Communication: Decades before digital transformation became an imperative, Jay Platt, CEO of Blue Volt and former CEO of Platt Electric, was on a mission to improve how his customers, team members and vendors could access information – whether for training,... by The MDM Podcast
36 min listen
S7E7: David Ruggles' Unique Perspective on Digital Transformation: Serving as President of Martin Supply and chairman of ISA, David Ruggles stops by to discuss digital initiatives from both his company and the association, as well as the progress the greater industrial distribution sector has made on that front. by The MDM Podcast
42 min listen
S7E9: Here's How Bluon is Changing the HVAC Game: MDM’s Mike Hockett chats with Bluon CEO Peter Capuciati about the company’s formation and transformation from a refrigerant R&D company to providing a new database and app to remove friction between HVAC distributors, technicians and contractors. by The MDM Podcast
36 min listen
S7E5: The State and Benefits of Product Data Standardization: In this MDM Podcast, our analytics manager interviews ETIM North America Executive Director Mary Shaw, who provides expert insight into the current state of data standardization for manufacturers, distributors and end users. The discussion explores... by The MDM Podcast
20 min listen
Quicktake 11.04.22: Channel Partner KPIs to Watch in a Downturn: When markets soften, surprises tend to be of the negative variety. But downturns can also open up opportunities to strengthen key supplier partnerships. MDM’s Tom Gale and IRCG’s Mike Marks talk about the key performance indicators in supplier... by The MDM Podcast
18 min listen
S7E6: Inside Ludwig Meister's Continuous Transformation: Tom Gale chats with Max Meister, the CEO of Germany-based power transmission products distributor Ludwig Meister, a family-run company that took an inside-out journey to transform its operations over the past decade. by The MDM Podcast
29 min listen
S7E16: MRO Lifecycle Management: The Customer Equation: Net Results Group Managing Partner Lance Gilbert discusses the state of indirect spend at large facilities from his team’s expertise in the analytics, technology and process improvement for MRO inventories, usage and purchasing behaviors. We explore... by The MDM Podcast
41 min listen
S7E12: Scott Teerlinck Says Transparency Has Keyed Crescent’s Transformation: The Crescent Electric Supply leader tells us how employee engagement has kept the distributor pointed at its customer-based north star. by The MDM Podcast
21 min listen
S7E10: Winsupply President on Drones, Innovation, M&A and More: John McKenzie joins the MDM Podcast to discuss the distributor’s new drone delivery program and Innovation Center, as well as the strategy behind its frequent acquisitions. We also dove into how Winsupply’s employee-ownership opportunity pays... by The MDM Podcast
22 min listen
Quicktake 11.25.22: Reshoring/Nearshoring Impacts for Industrial Distribution: James Dorn of the Dorn Group joins MDM’s Tom Gale to discuss ‘shoring’ opportunities and strategic implications for distributors. We’re moving from digital defining seamless service to a broader supply-chain transformation that mitigates risk... by The MDM Podcast
20 min listen
S7E17: Turtle & Hughes CEO on Strength in Diversity: Kathleen Shanahan stops by to discuss her unique path to becoming Turtle & Hughes' CEO; the electrical distributor’s emphasis on diversity in both its workforce and supplier base; and how investment in sustainable energy storage has positioned... by The MDM Podcast
29 min listen
Quicktake 12.09.22: Predictions for 2023 Distribution Shifts: Predicting the future is folly, but market transitions are where competitive advantage is won. No, that’s not some famous saying, but the fine line Indian River’s Mike Marks and MDM’s Tom Gale tread in this conversation. How will distributors... by The MDM Podcast
19 min listen
Quicktake 10.14.22: Mixed Signals, Full Speed Ahead: Our team has been on the fall conference tour. MDM’s Tom Gale and IRCG’s Mike Marks compare notes from conversations at Affiliated Distributors, NetPlus, ISSA, MDM’s own SHIFT event, and the latest Baird-MDM quarterly MarketPulse survey. Most... by The MDM Podcast
12 min listen
Quicktake 09.09.22: What Will Distributors Create Going Forward?: Our latest QuickTake podcast discusses how distributors' roles go beyond reacting to threats and opportunities that many have been preoccupied with since the pandemic arrived. by The MDM Podcast
17 min listen
Quicktake 01.02.23: From Traction to Transparency – Hello 2023: What’s out? Doom-scrolling. What’s in? Distribution industry executives will make more data-informed decisions supported by stronger technology and analytics. In our first Quicktake podcast conversation of the year, IRCG’s Mike Marks and MDM’s... by The MDM Podcast
15 min listen
S7E11: Optimas Strengthens Leadership with Dual-CEO Structure: In an exclusive interview, Optimas Solutions Co-CEOs Mike Tuffy and Daniel Harms join the MDM Podcast to discuss how their elevation and newly announced roles provide additional stability to the global fasteners manufacturer and distributor. by The MDM Podcast
31 min listen
S8E13: What Distributors Are Doing Wrong in Marketing by The MDM Podcast
48 min listen
Quicktake 11.18.22: Tailwinds & Macrotrends for Distributors: Disruptive market conditions breed opportunity. In this episode, IRCG’s Mike Marks and MDM’s Tom Gale look past the horizon at the larger macrotrends shaping growth opportunities for distributors over the next several years – electrification,... by The MDM Podcast
19 min listen
S8E2: NAW's Eric Hoplin on Combating Challenges in Distribution: Ahead of NAW's Jan. 31-Feb. 2 Executive Summit in Washington D.C., CEO Eric Hoplin stopped by to discuss how distributors are handling the labor market, economic headwinds, supply chain conditions and more. by The MDM Podcast
27 min listen
Quicktake 01.20.23: Mike Marks Remembers Peter Drucker: If you’ve ever attended a Mike Marks presentation, odds are he referenced one of the most influential thinkers on management in the 20th century. For good reason. In this Quicktake conversation, Marks shares thoughts on time spent with Peter Drucker... by The MDM Podcast
16 min listen
Quicktake 03.10.23: Levers to Increase Enterprise Value: Leadership teams have several options for increasing long-term enterprise value. This week Dorn Group’s James Dorn and Tom Gale recap some of the key themes from MDM’s recent Distribution M&A Summit and outline the most pertinent areas of... by The MDM Podcast
12 min listen
Quicktake 02.03.23: Recap of 2023 NAW Executive Summit: Like the industry it serves, the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors is undergoing a powerful transformation as an organization. MDM’s Tom Gale and IRCG’s Mike Marks debrief on their takeaways from an energizing program of content,... by The MDM Podcast
11 min listen
S8E3: MSC Leaders Say Acquisitions Aren’t Just Business, They’re Personal: As a primer to MDM's Feb. 22-23 Virtual M&A Summit, we chat with MSC Industrial Supply President & CEO Erik Gershwind and Business & Commercial Development leader Jim Drohan about the company's M&A strategy, which has moved... by The MDM Podcast
22 min listen

More Episodes from The MDM Podcast

Skip carousel

S10E13: Cut Through the AI Noise: Artificial intelligence in distribution carries a combination of hype, hope, promise and peril. Long-time technology analyst Justin King, the Global Director and Analyst of the B2B eCommerce Association, helps cut through the noise to get more precise... by The MDM Podcast
42 min listen
S10E12: Denver's AIS Exemplifies Small Distributor Innovation: AIS Industrial & Construction Supply is a single-location distributor, but its innovation in sales, marketing and eCommerce has outdone that of many larger industry counterparts. President & CEO Dale Hahs joins to discuss what AIS has been up... by The MDM Podcast
45 min listen
S10E11: Inside Vallen’s Aggressive Transformation: MRO supplies distributor Vallen has undergone major changes over the past few years, including its $350 million acquisition of Wesco Integrated Supply that closed April 1. But that deal is just the latest move. A former Sonepar subsidiary, Vallen... by The MDM Podcast
23 min listen
S10E10: Voices of ISA24: MDM brought a staff contingent to the Industrial Supply Association’s annual spring convention, ISA24, held April 15-17 in Charlotte. This compilation podcast features eight mini interviews Executive Editor Mike Hockett conducted at ISA24, gathering... by The MDM Podcast
17 min listen
S10E9: How Wajax Bulked Up its Product Offering with Service: Wajax Corp. has significantly expanded its Industrial Parts unit during the Iggy Domagalski's first two years as CEO, and he stopped by to discuss key drivers for that business. We also touch on Wajax's ongoing ERP rollout and technology initiatives,... by The MDM Podcast
41 min listen
S10E8: A Home Depot-SRS Megadeal Breakdown: Distribution hasn't seen a deal the magnitude of Home Depot's pending $18.25 billion acquisition of SRS Distribution in quite some time — maybe ever. Mike Hockett and Craig Webb break down the key details of the combination, why it makes sense for... by The MDM Podcast
42 min listen
S10E7: Inventory Opportunities in Slower-Demand Markets: Customers continue to work down inventory levels into 2024. James Dorn and John Gunderson outline action items for optimizing inventory levels – in partnership with suppliers – to stay nimble and gain share as competitors stumble on A and B items. by The MDM Podcast
23 min listen
S10E6: Mars Supply Keeps Evolving 100 Years In: Industrial supplies distributor Mars Supply is celebrating 100 years in business throughout 2024, and it didn’t achieve that milestone by happenstance. The company’s President, Bob Mars, has been there for 47 of those years, giving him a wealth of... by The MDM Podcast
36 min listen
S10E5: A Breakdown of Fastenal's Decade-Long "Big Pivot": All three parts of John Gunderson's November series on Fastenal's "big pivot" — which examined the distributor's decade-long transformation from a distributor dependent upon nationwide branches to one that emphasizes embedded customer service —... by The MDM Podcast
23 min listen
S10E4: Voices of NAW's Executive Summit: The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors’ 2024 Executive Summit was its best-attended such event in years, and NAW’s content lineup was ready for it. This compilation podcast features mini interviews with four distributors, one... by The MDM Podcast
27 min listen
S10E3: How Singer Industrial Handled Several Years of Change: In the past two years, industrial rubber and fluid power products distributor Singer Industrial has sold off a business unit, rebranded and made over a dozen acquistiions alongside greenfield expansion. CEO Craig Osborne tells us how his company... by The MDM Podcast
19 min listen
S10E2: After a Huge 2023, What Does M&A Look Like in 2024?: MDM posted 403 news items in 2023 involving distributors, or manufacturers that sell into distribution. That blew away 2022 and 2021. So, how much M&A runway is still left, and what’s driving it? We chat with Brown, Gibbons & Lang Managing... by The MDM Podcast
21 min listen
S10E1: Cracking the New Leadership Code: Leadership has been a critical differentiator for how well a distribution firm has performed over the past three years of disruption. Leadership consultant, coach and author Alain Hunkins discusses the transition from old- to new-school leadership,... by The MDM Podcast
46 min listen
S9E14: Jennifer Murphy Says Distribution's Diversity is a Beautiful Thing: NetPlus Alliance has served industrial distributors and suppliers as a buying group since 2002, but its roots date back nearly 200 years. Its Owner, President and CEO, Jennifer Murphy joins to discuss how that history has shaped the group and the role... by The MDM Podcast
39 min listen
Quicktake 12.08.23: Report Card on Distribution Business Models: Time for a check-up on the state of the industry as 2023 ends. Mike Marks and Tom Gale review the shifts – seismic and otherwise – that have shaped the competitive landscape across the dimensions of sales channels, digital, data analytics and culture. by The MDM Podcast
12 min listen
S9E13: BradyIFS + Envoy Solutions See Many Ways to Win: BradyIFS and Envoy Solutions are behind much of the consolidation in distribution's JanSan, foodservice and packaging supplies verticals, and they took it to another level with their landmark merger at the end of October. Chairman and CEO Ken Sweder... by The MDM Podcast
18 min listen
S9E12: How Kodiak Grows through Local Empowerment: In just a dozen years, Kodiak Building Partners has gone from inception to No. 11 on MDM's Top Building Materials Distributors List, acquiring over distribution 100 locations along the way and now has over 6,000 employees. CEO Steve Swinney details... by The MDM Podcast
28 min listen
Quicktake 11.17.23: Price is Now Priority for Customers: The relative importance customers assign to the equation of price, availability and support has shifted in Q3, with important implications for distributors. And now digital is in the mix. James Dorn summarizes Dorn Group’s latest survey results with... by The MDM Podcast
14 min listen
S9E11: Amazon Business is Just Getting Started: Amazon Business surpassed $35 billion in annualized sales in early 2023, and it has plenty of further expansion on its mind. The marketplace’s worldwide director, Todd Heimes, joins us to discuss how Amazon Business is constantly innovating to cater... by The MDM Podcast
24 min listen
Quicktake 11.03.23: Fix Your Biggest Critical Constraint for 2024 Growth: It’s strategy season, and even optimistic predictions are for flattish overall industry growth in 2024. Mike Marks and Tom Gale talk through the bottom-line impact of focus in dealing with whatever form your big gorilla(s) looks like. by The MDM Podcast
12 min listen
S9E10: The State of Innovation in Distribution: As distributors transform business models to stay competitive and close to customers, innovation has become a critical differentiator. NAW Chief Innovation Officer Bart Tessel and Applico CEO Alex Moazed share thoughts on where innovation is today in... by The MDM Podcast
35 min listen
Quicktake 10.27.23: Drive Profit with Active Category Management: In this continuing series on executing a Profitability Playbook, James Dorn outlines ways to leverage manufacturer incentives, create strategic tiered suppliers at a product category level, and capture every single dollar available before year end. by The MDM Podcast
13 min listen
Quicktake 10.20.23: Playing Offense in Defensive Times: Mike Marks and Tom Gale discuss the data points from Q3 and what the front lines in distribution are saying about how the fourth quarter of 2023 is shaping. Plus five proactive things distributors can do now to grow faster than the single-digit growth... by The MDM Podcast
10 min listen
Quicktake 10.13.23: Protect Your Pricing & Profit: With softening demand trends going into Q4, my conversation with James Dorn of Dorn Group busts the myths of not being able to grow both top-line revenue and margin in challenging market conditions. Deeper customer-product segmentation and full... by The MDM Podcast
19 min listen
Quicktake 10.06.23: From Vision to Transformation: In a debrief on core themes from MDM’s 2023 SHIFT conference, Mike Marks and Tom Gale talk about a clearer vision for the future of distribution emerging, the transformation levers to get there, getting traction with AI, and more. by The MDM Podcast
13 min listen
S9E9: Endries' Michael Knight on His Learning Curve, Coaching & AI: Michael Knight became CEO of Wisconsin-based Endries International in late 2022 after a long tenure with an electronic components distributor. He joins the podcast to discuss his first year leading the fast-growing OEM fasteners supplier and... by The MDM Podcast
50 min listen
Quicktake 09.29.23: A Profitability Playbook for Distributors: This conversation between Dorn Group President & CEO James Dorn and MDM CEO Tom Gale centers on how data analytics will prove crucial to distributors’ profitability in the year ahead, as the inflation tide that lifted all boats has now left.... by The MDM Podcast
12 min listen
S9E8: Culture Misconceptions about "The Great Resignation": The notion of "no one wants to work anymore" persists amid today's challenging labor pool in distribution, but Dr. Donte Vaughn - an expert in organizational leadership - says that's a major misconception alongside "The Great Resignation". He joins... by The MDM Podcast
29 min listen
S9E7: MDM’s AI Research Report Highlights: Research lead Kevin Reid-Morris and Tom Gale discuss the insights, surprises and hopes for AI this 2023 research into artificial intelligence surfaced. We also map out five behaviors and supporting building blocks for distributor AI success, with... by The MDM Podcast
39 min listen
S9E7: Education, Industry Demand and What STAFDA's Up To: STAFDA Chief Executive Georgia Foley stops by to discuss the association's new educational initiative, the state of industry demand how it's being impacted by U.S. Infrastructure Bill rollout and factory building boom, as well as a preview of the... by The MDM Podcast
27 min listen

Discover this podcast and so much more

S7E7: David Ruggles' Unique Perspective on Digital Transformation

S7E7: David Ruggles' Unique Perspective on Digital Transformation

Description

Titles in the series (99)

More Episodes from The MDM Podcast