In this episode, Benj talks with Jeff McLendon, CEO and President of Specialty Building Products, about how he scaled the company from $500 million to $4 billion by pairing intentional acquisitions with disciplined organic growth. He unpacks how the two strategies fuel each other and why the operations and people side of acquisitions are just as critical as the financials.

Sharing several examples, Jeff breaks down what makes a good acquisition — not just on paper, but in practice. He shares his advice for evaluating potential targets and tips for where to find the best deals.

The conversation also dives into the technical and operational side of acquisitions, including the best practices SBP uses to ensure smooth integrations—and how they’ve become an acquirer of choice in the market.

Whether you’re already pursuing M&A or just thinking about how to grow faster and smarter, Jeff offers a clear, candid playbook.

In this episode, Joyce Lansdale—Vallen's VP of Enterprise Business Development and Chairman of the Industrial Supply Association Board—shares her deep insights on selling to enterprise customers.

With over 30 years in distribution, she explains exactly what these big clients are looking for, which internal and customer teams have to collaborate in order to have a successful partnership, and the impressive logistics behind delivering unpredictable spot buys (like sourcing a firetruck).

From dissecting total cost of ownership to outlining the traits of a standout enterprise salesperson, this conversation is a masterclass in navigating the enterprise sales cycle whether you’re a seasoned sales professional or just starting out.

In this episode, Benj talks with Chuck Cohen, Managing Director of Benco Dental, about what it really takes to build and sustain a growing distribution business over the long haul.

Chuck shares the story of growing Benco from $85 million to over $1 billion in revenue. Along the way, he reflects on the decisions that made that growth possible: from how the company thinks about long-term investments, to evolving the company’s sales structure and embracing new technology and service offerings.

The conversation also dives into how the role of distributors is shifting, and what it means to keep adapting while staying focused on what customers truly need.