NAW and Pembroke Consulting Announce New Wholesale Distribution Industry Report 
Facing the Forces of Change®: Lead the Way in the Supply Chain

WASHINGTON, December  6, 2006 -- The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors’ (NAW) Distribution Research and Education Foundation (DREF) and Pembroke Consulting today announced that the eighth edition of the acclaimed wholesale distribution strategy report Facing the Forces of Change® will be released in March 2007.

The all-new report, titled Facing the Forces of Change®: Lead the Way in the Supply Chain, provides wholesaler-distributors, manufacturers, suppliers, and their customers with strategic insights into the key business and economic trends affecting the wholesale distribution supply chain through 2012. The report also describes innovative strategies and tactics that wholesaler-distributors can use in response to these trends. Pricing and ordering information are available at http://www.naw.org/ftf07 or by calling Vicky Walsh at 202.872.0885.

“The Facing the Forces of Change® series remains the only major research study to analyze the future of wholesale distribution within multiple supply chains,” said DREF Executive Director Ron Schreibman. “This brand-new edition builds upon a 25-year tradition of excellence by providing unprecedented research to benefit wholesale distribution executives in all lines of trade.”

The report was researched and written by Pembroke Consulting President and DREF Fellow Adam J. Fein, Ph.D. Fein will preview the report’s findings in a special presentation on January 31, 2007, in Washington, DC, during NAW’s Executive Summit. For more information and to register for the Executive Summit, visit http://www.naw.org/es07. All Executive Summit attendees will receive a copy of the 2007 report in March.

“Future success in wholesale distribution will come from understanding how to profit from crucial external business trends, followed by appropriate strategy execution to deliver results,” said Fein. “Our report will help executives position their companies to lead the supply chain by combining an understanding of their customers’ purchasing priorities with a realistic perspective on their best suppliers’ business requirements.”

Facing the Forces of Change®: Lead the Way in the Supply Chain draws upon a broad set of data, including in-depth interviews with senior distribution executives, manufacturers, customers, analysts, professors, and association executives. This report also includes survey responses from nearly 1,000 wholesale distribution executives and approximately 300 manufacturing executives. This is the first report in the 25-year history of the Facing the Forces of Change® series that reviews comparative data from a previous report and provides a fresh assessment of past predictions.

NAW is a federation of more than 100 wholesale distribution line of trade international, national, regional, state, and local associations and thousands of individual firms that collectively total more than 40,000 companies. The role of DREF within NAW is to sponsor and disseminate research in strategic management issues affecting the wholesale distribution industry. Visit http://www.naw.org to learn more.

Pembroke Consulting, Inc. provides business and marketing strategy advice to manufacturing, distribution, and technology executives operating in channel-intensive industries. To learn more about the firm and its services, visit http://www.PembrokeConsulting.com.

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