Plus: Logistics operations under pressure due to tariffs
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May 21, 2025
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Sonepar's World Electric plans to open a 150,000-square-foot regional distribution center in Atlanta by year's end, offering faster deliveries, services such as wire cutting and project staging and a larger range of products for solar and EV charging markets. Separately, World Electric appointed Brandon Cox to a new vice president of sales position with a mandate to expand the firm's customer base and market presence.
Full Story: Modern Distribution Management (tiered subscription model) (5/20) 
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Performance Food Group opened a 60,000-square-foot processing plant in West Salem, Wis., tripling the size of its previous facility. The plant features advanced automation, a fully equipped kitchen and a training center. "We're thrilled to bring this level of innovation and scalability to our customers," said Adam Towns, sales director at the facility. "This investment ensures we're ready to meet today's needs and tomorrow's growth opportunities while maintaining the exceptional quality our customers rely on."
Full Story: VendingMarketWatch Magazine (5/19),  Meat & Poultry Online (5/14) 
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Home Depot bets on supplier partnerships to manage tariffs
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Home Depot plans to maintain current pricing despite tariffs, leveraging its scale and supplier relationships, Chief Financial Officer Richard McPhail said Tuesday. More than half of Home Depot's products are sourced from the US, and the company has diversified imports to reduce reliance on China, setting a goal of having no single country outside the US account for more than 10% of its purchases in the next year. The retailer reported fiscal first-quarter revenue of $39.86 billion, beating estimates, and reaffirmed its full-year sales forecast.
Full Story: CNBC (5/20),  The Wall Street Journal (5/20) 
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Operations and Technology
Invoice rejections rates jumped to 6.95% in the first quarter from 1.86% a year earlier as companies used rejections as a cash flow buffer amid economic uncertainty, especially after the US trade war began, according to Basware. "The US tariff situation is creating stress in an unintended place -- finance operations and specifically invoice processing," said Basware CEO Jason Kurtz. "Similar to the supply chain disruption experienced during the pandemic, it suggests companies are using payment delays as a financial buffer against economic uncertainty."
Full Story: CFO Dive (5/19) 
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Logistics operations under pressure due to tariffs
(Yinwei Liu/Getty Images)
Logistics operations face mounting pressure as tariffs create new challenges for transportation methods. Key areas affected include ocean freight, air freight and road freight, each experiencing unique impacts such as minimum quantity commitments, potential rate increases and shifts in demand, writes Paul Bellamy with Genpact, who urges companies to consider multiple scenarios, monitor policy and bolster their operational flexibility.
Full Story: Supply & Demand Chain Executive (5/19) 
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Sales and Marketing
Business events need to be designed with purpose to drive real connections and results, writes C2 CEO Anick Beaulieu. Events must foster trust and shared values to transform conversations into actionable ideas and meaningful partnerships. "You can't build business momentum over lukewarm coffee and LinkedIn swaps. The real value of gatherings comes from environments where trust can grow, ambition finds its match, and ideas have room to catch fire," Beaulieu writes.
Full Story: Adweek (5/16) 
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The Business Leader
Be strategic about where to spend energy to avoid burnout
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Avoid over-extending yourself or becoming exhausted by dialing back your efforts on specific tasks and focusing on applying your energy strategically, writes executive coach Kathy Oneto. By assessing which goals require maximum effort and which do not, you can conserve energy and maintain high performance without burning yourself out, Oneto writes.
Full Story: SmartBrief/Leadership (5/20) 
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About NAW
The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) is one of America’s leading trade associations, representing the $8 trillion wholesale distribution industry. Our industry employs more than 6 million workers throughout the United States, accounting for approximately 1/3 of the U.S. GDP. 250,000 wholesale distribution companies operate across North America, including all 50 states. Learn more.
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