Everywhere you turn, people are talking about inflation.  Whether you're out to dinner, in line at the grocery store, or filling up at the pump, rising prices are hitting everyone like a punch to the gut.  So what do we do?  Eat out less often, buy cheaper cuts of meat, work from home a few days a week?  Those seem like feasible options for a temporary problem.   But what if inflation is more of a long-term, possibly permanent problem? Here's what we know in Distributorland... Fuel prices are through the roof Logistics costs are escalating We must continue investing in our people We can't just sit idly by and hope for the best So, now what?   My recent article in Industrial Supply Magazine attacks this issue head-on.  Click  HERE for the rest of the details. Frank Hurtte, Founding Partner of River Heights Consulting, shares his personal experiences with 28 years of "in the trenches" training and 17 years as a consultant.  He serves ...

I needn’t say too much about the current situation tied to Pandemic leftovers.  If you are one of the three people in Distributorland who hasn’t heard or talked about these three driving issues, let me tell you, they are real. 1. The difficulties in attracting quality/qualified employees. 2. Supply chain issues and shortages of the parts your customers need. 3. Ongoing price increases and inflation. I want to provide a demonstration of how the combination of supply chain issues and inflationary pressures needs some management attention. A glance at supply chain “stuff” It’s not impossible to get products from our suppliers, it’s just impossible to receive them on time.  Despite all the media hype tied to supply chain issues, our customers are not quietly sympathetic.  They still have factories to run and machinery to ship.  Most customers still judge our service on getting products to them when they need them.  They bark, bother, and badger distributor sa...