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Build Relationships that Build Your Business.

Networking

Stay ahead of your competition through the valuable insights you gain from the best independent distributors in North America. AD provides confidential, structured and meaningful networking sessions led by trained facilitators. Your AD Network, comprised of non-competing AD members, will become your go-to people for all business issues you face, big and small. 

  • Matthew Larson, President, OK Industrial Supply, Inc.
  • Evan Gilbert, President, Quality Mill Supply Company, Inc.
  • Matt Cohen, President, Replenex, Inc.

  • Every time I come to the North American meetings I leave with energy. I'm ready to go and make some change and implement new things. It really is going to set the next year off in the right direction.

    Matthew Larson, President, OK Industrial Supply, Inc. Member since 2013

  • Our network chair takes the time to elicit feedback from us, and from that he curates a list of topics that we use. Within that, I think the best part about the AD network process when we're actually meeting together is that we just let it flow. We have a group of topics, but we let those topics go wherever they go. Even though we have a set agenda, if something's really got the interest of everybody in the moment, we follow that path.

    Evan Gilbert, President, Quality Mill Supply Company, Inc. Member since 2000

  • As president and CEO of an industrial supply company, it's hard to find a peer group that really understands the nature of the business that we do on a daily basis for our customers. AD networking provides quality, best-in-class peers that are incredibly open and candid about their businesses, which gives me the ability to run my business better.

    Matt Cohen, President, Replenex, Inc. Member since 2004
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Network with the Best

If you want to get better at any game, you need to play it with the best players. We select our members based on their dedication to growth, their eagerness to collaborate, and their financial stability. Because of this, AD Networks are filled with smart and successful entrepreneurs who are ready to share their ideas for growth. AD Networks are typically for the President and Vice-President of a member company. However, AD also runs Networks for member eCommerce, finance, human resources, information technology, operations, marketing and emerging next-generation leaders. 

 

Confidential Collaboration Without Competition

When you join AD, you are assigned your AD Network, comprised of 10–12 non-competing AD members organized by company size and management style. AD arranges two meetings a year for your Network, where you can share best practices and lessons learned, although AD Networks communicate throughout the year. 

 

Trained Facilitation

AD Networks are chaired by volunteer members who receive annual professional facilitation training. Network chairs take their role very seriously. They send out surveys in advance of meetings so the Network can choose what topics they will discuss, and all members come to Networks prepared to share and often present on issues they have tackled the previous year.

 

Bi-annual Meetings

Twice a year AD hosts meetings where we organize formal and productive networking sessions with members’ assigned AD Network. These meetings are a great opportunity for members to dive deep with their AD Networks, sharing ideas and developing strategies for the year ahead.

 

Annual Meetings

AD NORTH AMERICAN MEETING

Nothing rivals our annual North American Meeting for productivity, relationship building and inspiration. Highlights include formal and informal networking sessions, pre-scheduled booth meetings between members and suppliers, an insightful state-of-the-industry keynote address, the AD Spirit of Independence Awards show, and the always-energized women in industry and emerging leaders events.

 

AD GYPSUM SUPPLY ANNUAL SPRING MEETINGS

AD Gypsum Supply Annual Spring Meeting is a one-of-a-kind gathering of industry icons and decision makers from AD distributor and supplier partner organizations. It’s an opportunity to build important relationships and gear up for the coming year in a fun, productive and cost-effective way.

AD NETWORK MEETINGS

Once a year, AD hosts a distributor-only network meeting, where members meet in their assigned network groups of non-competing market leaders from their industry. These meetings are a great opportunity for members to share ideas and develop sales and marketing strategies for the coming year. AD Network Meetings are extremely organized, fun, professional and confidential.