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And So It Flows Podcast

AI adoption in distribution starts with action, not perfect data

Brooks Hamilton says speed, decision-making and sales impact will define winners in the next wave of AI

March 30, 2026

Artificial intelligence has quickly moved from buzzword to boardroom priority across PHCP-PVF distribution, but for many companies, adoption still feels stalled before it even begins. According to Brooks Hamilton, principal at AI Strategy Advisors, that hesitation often comes down to a long-standing misconception: that AI requires perfectly clean data before companies can get started.

February 2026 ASA Master of Distribution Management cohort

ASA News

February 2026 MDM cohort kicks off at full capacity; May classes now open

March 27, 2026

The February 2026 ASA Master of Distribution Management cohort is officially underway, with a class of 13 students kicking off, ready to embark on their leadership growth pathway.

ASA News

Podcast: Robotics in Distribution

Practical lessons from the field

March 25, 2026

Robotics has moved from trade show demonstration to boardroom discussion. For many larger distributors, the question is no longer whether automation exists; it is whether it belongs in the next phase of operational strategy.

Winsupply to add 1.6 million square feet of distribution capacity

Winsupply Family of Companies to grow distribution network via three key regions.

March 23, 2026

Winsupply announced a significant multi-year expansion of its national distribution network. Over the next two years, the company will add 1.6 million square feet of capacity, designed to empower its 680-plus Local Companies and provide a scalable foundation for future entrepreneurs to join the Winsupply Family of Companies.

Oil Refinery Gas Chemical Equipment Production in Saltend at East Riding of Yorkshire, UK

Oil price surge drives up freight costs for distributors

With the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut down, distributors face rising transportation costs, material price pressure and renewed uncertainty.

Natalie Forster

March 20, 2026

The Strait of Hormuz is normally responsible for moving roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply has not been officially shut down in a legal sense. Instead, it has become functionally impassable for much of global shipping, creating the same supply shock as a formal closure. For global energy markets, and for the supply chains that depend on them, the impact is identical: constrained supply, rising prices and widespread uncertainty.

Marketing Matters | Alicia Branham

Why conservative branding and hesitant messaging may be limiting distributor growth more than market conditions

You can’t grow if you’re afraid to be seen

Alicia Branham

March 20, 2026

Being visible invites judgment. Once your company is seen, it can be critiqued, compared, misunderstood, or challenged. In industries where reputation matters and tradition runs deep, that exposure feels risky.

Guest Column | Fred Simpson

Blending knowledge and advancements: How to successfully adopt new HVAC technologies.

Fred Simpson

March 18, 2026

Advancements are constantly rolling out to the PHCP and HVAC industries, and even the most seasoned professionals are fascinated by the way they help us do our jobs more efficiently while keeping our customers more comfortable.

ASA News

Cybersecruity starts with awareness, not technology

March 18, 2026

What makes this resource especially effective is that each attack scenario is explicitly tied back to related controls in the Cybersecurity Checklist. The attacks describe what can happen. The checklist outlines the practices organizations use to reduce exposure across increasing maturity levels.

ASA News

Navigating FMLA: DOL’s opinion letter clarifies travel time

March 17, 2026

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division recently issued an opinion letter explaining an employee’s available leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) may be applied toward time spent traveling to and from a medical appointment.

Navigating the new freight reality

Geopolitical tensions, labor constraints and rapid technology adoption are reshaping how distributors manage transportation risk.

Carolyn Heinze

March 17, 2026

Few would argue that transporting cargo from one place to the next isn’t complicated. Even during the best of times, there are (literally) so many moving parts to account for, and one tiny blip in the process can produce big (read: expensive) problems. Today, ongoing commercial, environmental, and geopolitical developments are making the management and movement of fleets and freight an ever-changing affair.