Benfield's Blog

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For most of its 100-year+ history, distributors have driven the profit in their firms by metrics and comparisons from the income statement.

There are two basic types of employees inside most firms: internal and external.

It should be plain by now that the downturn that started two years ago is far more than a typical recession.

In his recent book, Profit Myths in Wholesale Distribution, Al Bates lauds gross margin dollars as one of the most important numbers and concepts in running a profitable wholesale company.

Many years ago, I worked in a sizable family-owned distributorship. My goal was to gain experience in helping the company go to market using modern principles of sales and marketing.

The definitions of Wholesaler and Manufacturer have, in the minds of most industry veterans, distinct meaning. Manufacturers turn raw material into products and wholesalers take title to the products while

In a recent presentation to a Top 20 PHCP wholesaler on pricing, I was asked by the reigning CEO, the second generation patriarch, about my background. Consulting fees are expensive

In July of 2008, I penned a blog entry1 on the pending changes in Wolseley Plc and if they signaled a change in the existing model of distribution. The entry

“The worst thing you can do, if you are not succeeding, is to pretend that you are and not change,” advises Scott Benfield in his latest blog.

I watched the British Open recently and was witness to one of those rare instances in Golf Majors when Tiger Woods wasn’t leading the tournament. In fact, Mr. Woods didn’t