Go Ahead, Judge Us By Our Cover

My favorite thing about being the editor of Industrial Supply is the interviews I conduct with distribution leaders. To date — it’ll be four years once November rolls in — I’ve written 24 cover stories, some of which have included a couple of interviews, but a one-on-one with a single executive or owner is more of the norm.

Often, you’ll see us featuring an association super-star, and I’m proud to spotlight distribution leaders who are deeply immersed in these industry networking and education communities. Following and expanding upon the good example set by my predecessor, I seek to feature a balance of leaders from some of the largest distribution organizations (cue the MDM Top 50 List we’re presenting in this issue on page 12) as well as from some smaller, nimble, and savvy distributors. On our covers, you’ll see men and you’ll see women; you’ll see some younger faces and you’ll see some that bear the signs of a few more decades of experience. The people I interview are selected on no other criteria but their own merit as excellent leaders in industrial distribution.

In this issue, I am pleased and proud to note that for the first time we are featuring a Canadian distributor on the cover. Born and educated in India, Ajay Bajaj is indeed a standout in the power transmission segment of North American industrial distribution — a fact the PTDA publicly acknowledged when it lauded him with the association’s highest award last year: the annual Warren Pike Award, which recognizes lifetime, praiseworthy achievement in the industry.

He certainly possesses a gifted intellect and strong business acumen, but I also found him gracious, thoughtful, and confident yet humble. I hope you enjoy his story as much as I enjoyed the interview. Thanks for reading.