How to Identify and Keep the Right People in Distribution Read Time: 7 minutes By Frank Hurtte Deep Dive on People – The Right Kind of People In Part One of this series, we explored why people remain the most valuable asset in distribution. Now we turn our attention to identifying, developing, and retaining the right people—those who elevate your organization rather than quietly drain it. Distribution has always been a people‑driven business. Technology has improved, automation has expanded, and digital tools have become standard, but none of these replace the impact of a capable, motivated employee. The right people accelerate growth. The wrong people slow it down. And in today’s competitive labor market, the cost of getting this wrong is higher than ever. Let’s take a deeper look at what “the right people” actually means for distributors. The Right People Bring More Than Skills Skills matter, but they’re not the whole picture. The right people combine technical ability with curios...

Do People Still Make or Break Your Distribution Business? Read Time 7 mins By Frank Hurtte Let's talk about people. Why? Because without people, distributors aren’t distributors. They’re empty buildings with aging inventory systems, a few forklifts, and a collection of office chairs that have seen better days. When I talk with individuals looking to acquire distribution businesses, private equity, industry veterans, or even outsiders, the conversation always circles back to three things: profitability, customer relationships, and the stability of the team. Remove the last two, and the valuation drops to nearly nothing. In truth, without people, you don’t have customer relationships at all. That’s why talking about people isn’t just important; it’s essential. Distribution has always been a people‑intensive business model. Yes, we have warehouses, inventory, credit departments, ERP systems, and fleets of vehicles. But people are the engine. For every dollar of gross margin generated...