The recent U.S.-China trade truce has reduced tariffs from an eye-watering 145% to 30%, but mid-market distributors aren't out of the woods yet. According to the Yale Budget Lab, even with this reduction, average U.S. tariff rates remain at 17.8% – the highest since 1934 – with projected impacts including $2,800 reduction in household purchasing…
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The first MDM SHIFT conference, held since the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors acquired MDM in January, brought distribution leaders together earlier this month to address key challenges, learn, and network. The event offered valuable insights to help distributors rethink innovation and position themselves for long-term success. The Intuilize team, including CEO/Founder Nelson Valderrama, Strategic Partnerships…
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This article was originally featured in the March 2025 issue of MDM Premium Exclusive. Nelson Valderrama is the CEO of Intuilize, helping mid-size distributors transform data into profits with more than 25 years of experience in the industrial distribution industry. Why Innovation Matters Now Recent MDM research revealed a striking insight: 63% of distributors see…
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Staying ahead isn't just about keeping pace—it's about setting the pace. That's why we've written our concise guide, Thriving in an Age of Disruption: Transforming Distribution with Inventory and Price Optimization, which we’ve explicitly tailored for distributors constantly striving to maximize ROI and improve operational excellence. Why This Whitepaper is a Game-Changer for You: Tackle…
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AI is here, and it’s changing the game for distributors. But let’s get one thing straight: AI isn’t replacing your workforce—it’s enhancing it. The most successful distributors aren’t just adopting AI tools; they’re preparing their teams to use them effectively. That’s where the real competitive edge lies. Forward-thinking distributors are upskilling their employees, evolving roles,…
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Price optimization is a key process to help distributors achieve optimal pricing levels that simultaneously align with shifting market dynamics, seasonal and historical demand, and customer willingness to pay, ultimately driving business success and financial performance. Through the use of technology, future-focused distributors can leverage their own data to build strategies that will find the…
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This article was originally featured in the May/June 2025 issue of American Fastener Journal (pages 46-49). Nelson Valderrama is the CEO of Intuilize, helping mid-size distributors transform data into profits with more than 25 years of experience in the industrial distribution industry. The Distribution Tariff Crisis Wholesale distributors are caught in an increasingly challenging position…
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Achieving maximum ROI in distribution hinges on your ability to make informed decisions about inventory management and pricing strategies. One powerful yet underutilized tool that distributors can leverage is rate-of-change analysis. By focusing on short-term and long-term sales trends, rate-of-change metrics provide invaluable insights that help distributors optimize their inventory and pricing decisions to stay…
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