NAW & Pembroke Consulting Announce All-New Wholesale Distribution Industry Report Facing the Forces of Change(R): The Road to Opportunity

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8, 2003 -- The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors' (NAW) Distribution Research and Education Foundation (DREF) and Pembroke Consulting today announced an all-new edition of the leading wholesale distribution industry report Facing the Forces of Change will be released in March 2004.

The new report, titled Facing the Forces of Change: The Road to Opportunity, provides strategic insights into key trends impacting the wholesale distribution supply chain through 2008. The new report covers key industry demographics, four major trends impacting wholesaler-distributors, competitive threats to distributors, supply chain technology, salesforce issues, manufacturer relations, and much more. To order, visit http://www.nawpubs.org/ or call 202-872-0885.

"The Facing the Forces of Change series occupies a unique position in the distribution industry and in the analysis of supply chain and marketing channels," said DREF Executive Director Ron Schreibman. "The new edition of the study builds on a tradition of excellence by bringing together an unprecedented volume of information to help wholesale distribution executives prepare for the future."

The report was written and researched by Pembroke Consulting President and NAW/DREF Fellow Adam J. Fein, Ph.D. and his team of wholesale distribution experts. Fein will preview the study's findings in a special presentation on January 28, 2004, in Washington, D.C., during NAW's Executive Summit. For more information or to register, visit http://www.nawmeetings.org/am2004/.

"Our report documents how the traditional ways distributors make money and grow will be rewritten by the combined influence of customer buying behavior, emerging competitors, and the proliferation of technology in the supply chain," said Fein. "However, wholesaler-distributors have many new opportunities to put themselves on the road to renewed relevance and increased profits in the years ahead."

Facing the Forces of Change: The Road to Opportunity draws upon a broad set of data including in-depth interviews with more than 100 senior distribution executives, manufacturers, customers, analysts, professors, and association executives. The report also includes survey responses from 1,000 wholesale distribution executives and 400 senior manufacturing executives.

The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (http://www.naw.org/) is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association that represents the wholesale distribution industry.

Pembroke Consulting (http://www.pembrokeconsulting.com/) develops business and marketing strategies for leading wholesale distribution, manufacturing and B2B technology companies.