3M recognized four companies with “Distributor of the Year” awards at the 2014 Industrial Supply Association (ISA) Annual Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana on Sunday, May 18. Motion Industries, Hubbard Supply Co., Martin Supply Co. Inc., and Barry and Sewall Industrial Supply were each honored as a result of their outstanding sales growth in 2013.
Mary Johnston and Tim Golden, sales director and national sales manager for the 3M Industrial Markets Center, presented the awards as part of the company’s distributor celebration at ISA. This was the third year for the awards, which were categorized according to the manufacturer’s distributor merchandising plan segmentations.
Motion Industries received the National Distributor of the Year award. Headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, Motion Industries has 511 branches, 15 distribution centers, and 42 service centers throughout North America. “Motion Industries’ commitment to continually improving their services to their end users, along with their target marketing expertise, has resulted in double digit growth,” Golden said. “They have really stepped up their commitment to growing the MRO market over the past several months. They recently added 17 industrial and safety specialists, and have made the commitment to fully train them on 3M products. They also added a Product Manager for Safety in 2013, demonstrating a strong commitment to that part of the 3M product portfolio. These activities, along with the late-year rollout of a safety catalog and a fresh focus on abrasives, helped this distributor add new customers and drive impressive sales totals.”
Both Hubbard Supply Co. and Martin Supply Co. Inc. received Premier Distributor of the Year awards. Hubbard Supply started as a small hardware store in Flint, Michigan, and has grown into a leading seller in the metalworking and automotive industries, with branch locations and distribution centers servicing the Michigan, northern Ohio, and northern Indiana markets.
“They have been dedicated to delivering process improvements, cost savings, and supply efficiency to key manufacturers in these industries, and in 2015, they will be celebrating their 150th anniversary. With their strong leadership and knowledgeable sales force, they have continually grown sales by working along with 3M reps to create and close new opportunities,” stated Golden. “Since becoming a Premier distributor, Hubbard Supply has consistently realized double digit sales growth. They have participated in 3M Distributor Advisory Councils, and are a key voice of distribution for 3M management.”
Since its start in Alabama during the Great Depression, Martin Supply Company now has branch locations in six states, and has become of the nation’s leading providers of custom tailored solutions for maintenance, repair, and operation (MRO) supplies to both the industrial and construction markets.
“From humble beginnings, they are now proudly ranked among the top 100 industrial distributors in the nation. Their nine core values drive the company and enable their sustainable growth. Stated simply, words that best describe Martin Supply include: integrity, entrepreneurial, custom solution driven, flexible, nimble, and partner,” Johnston stated. “The keys to success for this distributor have been their managerial support and field engagement. It’s no more complicated than that. Our teams have established trust and respect resulting in focused end user activities. This has been the recipe for nearly doubling their 3M business since becoming a Premier distributor.”
The Optima Distributor of the Year award went to Barry and Sewall Industrial Supply. With headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Barry and Sewall is one of the largest industrial distributors in the North Central United States. “With the core values of knowing, learning, changing, and appreciating, Barry and Sewall actively strives to bring quality products and responsive service to the customer. They value and support team engagement activities as a way to build and strengthen positive working relationships. Twice-monthly sales meetings - a key driver of success - ensure timely introduction of new products and promotions, and serve to educate the sales team about their ever-expanding industrial product line. They’re a stocking partner willing to break cases, and will sell and ship what the customer needs,” Johnston said. “All of this has added up to 3 consecutive years of double-digit growth. And they are doing it again in 2014!”
The ISA is the premier trade association representing the Maintenance, Repair, Operations and Production (MROP) Industrial Supply Channel. The 2014 Industrial Supply Association (ISA) Annual Convention, held on May 17-20, drew nearly 1,500 attendees and more than 300 exhibitors. The show is the largest event of its type within the industrial supply channel.
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