A few weeks ago, SMG (Safety Marketing Group) held our 26th Annual Partnership Conference at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Our Conference theme this year was CSI-Creating Strategic Innovation. Thirty years ago I thought innovation was only for manufacturers, not distributors; was I ever wrong!
Independently owned distributors (especially in the safety channel) are faced with an unprecedented number of change drivers; as well as an accelerating pace of change. Some of the factors driving this change are globalization, consolidation, and competition from everyone and their brother! We have always had competition but today it is different.