Industrial Distribution

www.inddist.com team atmosphere and productivity.

Also featured in this issue is our exclusive story about Berkshire Hathaway’s recent acquisition of the wholesale division of Production Tool Supply — No. 34 on the Big 50

List — and the formation
of new master MROP
wholesaler Berkshire
eSupply. It was by far ID’s
most-read item of 2018’s
first quarter. Berkshire
eSupply made ID its media
channel of choice to take
the news public. The
company already has big
growth plans as it aims
to level the playing field
between independent
distributors and the large
nationals, so you’ll want
to keep an eye on
eSupply’s development.
Yet another staff-written
piece in this issue discusses
Lawson Products’ recent
string of acquisitions
and how it’s been using
group chat software to
help boost productivity of
its sales reps; and we’ve
also included a photo
essay from my time at
Grainger Show Feb. 12-13
in Orlando, FL. And in
our Guest Column, Jim
Brandenberg discusses
the opportunities that
the new U.S. tax law
presents distributors and
manufacturers.

Here’s wishing everyone a great rest of 2018. We’ll see you again in print in early June.

ID editor Mike Hockett poses in the 10-foot, 3.5-ton hex nut — unofficially the world’s largest — in the parking lot of Packer Fastener’s Green Bay, WI headquarters.

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