Core & Main has agreed to acquire Pioneer Supply, which distributes water, wastewater and storm drainage products in Oklahoma and Texas. "Pioneer Supply represents a wonderful opportunity to expand our presence in Texas and Oklahoma," Core & Main President Brad Cowles says.

The Surface Transportation Board has paused a proposed merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, citing an incomplete application. The railroads have until Feb. 17 to decide whether to refile, while industry groups like the American Chemistry Council expressed support for the pause, citing concerns over reduced competition.

FedEx has filed a Form 10 registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the planned spinoff of FedEx Freight, which is scheduled for June 1. Upon launch, the new company will become the country's largest less-than-truckload carrier.

Disconnected systems create significant challenges for distributors by fragmenting customer data and forcing staff to switch between multiple platforms, leading to slower response times, outdated information and inconsistent service, all of which erode customer trust and loyalty, writes Jayelyn Ramey of DataXstream. Distributors should break down these data silos and adopt a unified commerce system, which enables them to centralize inventory, order management and customer touchpoints. This ensures that all customer interactions are based on real-time data and enhances service speed, accuracy and reliability.

AI's potential in supply chain management is limited by fragmented data, not algorithm quality. Most executives feel they lack a complete view of their supply chain, so AI must integrate data from factory operations, logistics and external factors to provide predictive insights and resilience.

Exposed corporate email credentials are a major risk across the retail and wholesale sectors, with more than 70% of large retailers and 60% of wholesalers found in criminal stealer logs, according to a Black Kite report. More than half of supply chain vendors also had exposed credentials, indicating attackers often leverage valid usernames and passwords to initiate breaches and bypass traditional security barriers, making credential theft a primary entry point for cybercriminals targeting the distribution industry. The report also shows a rise in ransomware attacks, with large retailers as high-value targets and wholesalers experiencing a surge in attacks, moving up to a top-tier target from 12th place in 2024.

One framework to help distributors excel in complex B2B sales is the consultative solution journey, which involves in-depth discovery, co-creating tailored solutions with customers, piloting, implementation and ongoing support, writes Mike Kunkle, founder of Transforming Sales Results. This framework also necessitates deep buyer acumen, collaborative design and post-sale value reinforcement, positioning distributors as strategic partners rather than transactional vendors.

The rise of the agentic internet is transforming the B2B customer journey by compressing traditional stages into one, high-intent transaction facilitated by AI agents, writes Moss Networks President Bonnie Moss. To succeed, marketers must ensure their websites are machine-readable, use consistent vocabulary and provide structured content with clear action-level definitions, Moss writes.

The construction industry needs to attract 349,000 net new workers in 2026 and 456,000 in 2027 to meet demand and offset retirements, totaling approximately 805,000 workers over two years according to Associated Builders and Contractors’ proprietary workforce model. ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu notes that while the numbers are lower than recent years due to modest spending growth forecasts, the majority of 2026 demand stems from retirements rather than expansion, though requirements could exceed projections if construction spending proves more robust than anticipated or if AI infrastructure buildout accelerates beyond current expectations.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​