Hajoca has acquired American Refrigeration Supplies from Kitchell, marking its sixth major HVAC acquisition and further strengthening its presence in the Southwest. ARS, an 85-year-old distributor with 34 branches and two distribution centers across seven states, will maintain its brand and leadership under Hajoca's ownership.

APR Supply has acquired McArdle & Walsh, a supplier of heating, plumbing and industrial products based in Lutherville, Md., marking APR's entry into the Maryland market. The acquisition expands APR's footprint to 43 locations across four states and is expected to enhance inventory availability, product offerings and local service for contractors in the Baltimore area.

SunSource has acquired Vytl Controls Group from MiddleGround Capital, enhancing its position in the distribution and manufacturing of flow control solutions. Vytl, operating globally through Setpoint Integrated Solutions, W&O Supply, and AT Controls, serves various industries including chemical, energy and marine. MiddleGround rebranded Vytl from PVI Holdings to unify operations and improve market strategy. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Ace Hardware is expanding its digital transformation initiative to include warehouse management and enterprise pricing as part of a partnership with Cognizant. The recent rollout of the Manhattan Warehouse Management for Open Systems solution to over 10 distribution centers aims to improve efficiency, while the initiative has supported ecommerce growth of more than 450% since 2019.

Walmart is set to launch Walmart Exports in early 2026, a new program allowing eligible products from US-based sellers to be shipped to customers in Mexico and Canada. The initiative, which will eventually expand to more countries, automatically enrolls eligible items and leverages Walmart's logistics network for fulfillment. This move is part of Walmart's efforts to extend sellers' reach beyond the domestic market.

CMOs in the B2B tech sector are shifting their strategies due to challenges such as declining web traffic and LinkedIn engagement, and an increase in zero-click purchasing, according to a report by 3Thinkrs. Some 61% are optimizing content for AI engines, with thought leadership, strategic partnerships, and multimedia content emerging as key growth tactics.

Digital transformation projects often fail because organizations underestimate the need for workforce upskilling, Priyanka Dave writes. While technology may be implemented successfully, employees struggle to adapt, leading to productivity drops, increased support tickets and workarounds that undermine system controls, Dave writes.

A Gallup study finds a growing gap in AI adoption between leaders, managers and employees, with 69% of leaders using AI to some extent, compared with 55% of managers and 40% of employees. The study attributes the gap to leaders' greater ability to work remotely and their increased awareness of AI applications, and it suggests that organizations should tailor AI strategies to different roles.

Distributor merger and acquisition activity remained strong in January, with 29 transactions involving primarily North American companies in the industrial and commercial hard goods sector, according to Modern Distribution Management. Major deals included Worthington Steel's $2.4 billion acquisition of Kloeckner Metals, White Cap's acquisition of Colony Hardware and VSE's $2 billion acquisition of Precision Aviation Group.

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