NAW National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors

• Byron Potter, Chairman - Dallas Wholesale Builders Supply Inc.
• Don Frendberg, Vice Chairman - Heating, Airconditioning and Refrigeration Distributors International
• Mark Allen - International Foodservice Distributors Association
• Dan Blaylock - Adams-Burch Inc.
• John Garfinkel - International Sanitary Supply Association
• David Griffith - Modern Group Ltd.
• Deborah Hamlin - Irrigation Association
• Mark Kramer - Laird Plastics, Inc.
• Andre Lacy - L.D.I. Ltd.
• Patricia Lilly - Security Hardware Distributors Association
• Kathleen Mazzarella - Graybar Electric Company Inc.
• Michael Medart - Medart Marine
• Joseph Nettemeyer - Valin Corporation
• William A. Parsley - Carswell Distributing Company
• Bob Roberts - Roberts Oxygen Company, Inc.
• Matthew Rowan - Health Industry Distributors Association
• George Keeley, Secretary - Keeley, Kuenn and Reid
• Ron Schreibman, Executive Director - National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors
• Dirk Van Dongen, President and Treasurer - National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors

The Fellows Program was established in 2001. It is intended to recognize outstanding individuals from the academic and consulting communities doing excellent work to expand the body of knowledge about the wholesale distribution industry. When it comes to research and authoring practical reports that can assist distribution companies to be more profitable, these Fellows are our crown jewels.

Adam J. Fein, Ph.D.

In 2001, Adam J. Fein, Ph.D., President, Pembroke Consulting, Inc., Philadelphia, PA, became our first Fellow.

Pembroke Consulting is dedicated to helping executives from wholesale distribution, manufacturing, and business-to-business technology companies with distribution and marketing-related issues.

Fein consults with manufacturers on channel strategy, assists distributors with industry analysis and planning, and advises technology companies on marketing strategy. He is also a popular and provocative keynote speaker for executive planning sessions and industry meetings around the world.

Fein is the author of Facing the Forces of Change®: Lead the Way in the Supply Chain (2007) , the 2009 Wholesale Distribution Economic Reports (2009) and editor of OUTLOOK 2009: An Executive’s Companion to Facing the Forces of Change®.

J. Michael Marks

J. Michael Marks, Managing Partner of Indian River Consulting Group, Melbourne, FL, became the second Fellow in 2002.

Indian River Consulting Group (IRCG) is an experience-driven firm that continues to focus on the wholesale distribution channel.

Prior to forming IRCG, Marks held the position of Executive Vice President at Lex Electronics, an $800 million vertically integrated electronics distributor in Stamford, CT. Prior to that, he was Director of Corporate Training and Development at Ducommon Inc. in Los Angeles, CA, a $400 million industrial distribution company.

Marks is coauthor of Working at Cross-Purposes: How Distributors and Manufacturers Can Manage Conflict Successfully (2006),  What's Your Plan? Smart Salesforce Compensation in Wholesale Distribution (2003), and Value Creation Strategies for Wholesaler-Distributors (2009).

Brent R. Grover

Brent R. Grover, President of Evergreen Consulting, LLC, Cleveland, OH, was named a Fellow in 2005.

Evergreen Consulting advises owner managers of closely held distribution and manufacturing companies on the challenges of strategy and ownership succession.

Grover, former CEO of National Paper & Packaging Co., served as Chairman of the NAW Member Association: National Paper Trade Association in 1993.

Grover is the author of The Acquisitive Distributor: 4 Keys to Success When Buying a Wholesale Distribution Business (2005), More to the Bottom Line: Customer Profitability Analysis Tools for Distributors (2004), Official Guide to Wholesaler-Distributor Financial Success—Three-Volume Set (2007), and Strategic Pricing for Distributors: Tools and Rules for Building Higher Margins (2009).

 Barry Lawrence, Ph.D.

In 2009, Dr. Barry Lawrence, Director of the Industrial Distribution program and the Supply Chain Systems Lab (SCSL) at Texas A&M University, was named a Fellow.

The SCSL is the nation’s premier distribution-focused research lab, providing state-of-the-art distribution and supply chain research solutions to the wholesale distribution industry. Under the leadership of Lawrence, the lab employs several full-time research associates. Lawrence has several years of experience with applied research and education for industry professionals. The research associates have many years of experience partnering with the distribution industry to help companies solve complex problems. These partnerships have resulted in millions of dollars in cost savings, inventory reductions, and margin improvements.

Lawrence also heads up Texas A&M’s efforts with the Council for Research on Distributor Competitiveness (CRDC). The NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence and Texas A&M University’s Industrial Distribution Program launched the CRDC in 2009 to further the understanding and application of best practices in wholesale distribution. The mission of the CRDC is to create competitive advantage for wholesaler-distributors through development of research, tools, and education.

Lawrence is coauthor of Optimizing Distributor Profitability: Best Practices to a Stronger Bottom Line (2009).