Paul V. Reilly

Elise Hacking Carr is senior production editor for Print & Promo Marketing magazine, and managing editor for PRINTING United Journal.

When Brian Burlace and Jon Brothers first met on the lacrosse field at the University of Maryland, they never expected their friendship to influence their business game. But that all changed when the former teammates went on to head two different companies with similar product and service offerings. As president of the Glen Burnie, Maryland-based distributorship Tray Inc...

With suppliers and distributors increasingly taking on functions once exclusive of each other, are the terms used to describe their roles still accurate? As a company acquires production capabilities, is there a point at which it ceases to be an independent distributorship? What about manufacturers with direct selling divisions? These are hotly debated issues, and will remain so as the industry evolves. While the language describing emerging business models may be undecided, there’s strong agreement across the independent supply channel concerning the harsh realities of maintaining profitability. Add to this the fact that unique new challenges keep emerging, driven by technology and multimedia marketing trends.

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