More AI Fears, More Fed Rate Increases...But A New Future For Distribution Growth

Are AI warnings, interest rate pressure, and tariff conflicts creating real risk for wholesale distributors, or is the bigger issue how leaders decide what to do next? In this episode of Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution, Kevin Brown and Tom Burton review the week’s most important news for manufacturers, wholesale distributors, independent sales agents, and the global wholesale supply chain. They begin with updates on the continued growth of the podcast and preview a major LeadSmart Technologies announcement focused on helping distributors move beyond traditional CRM into a broader enterprise growth platform. The conversation covers the Fed’s latest rate increase, the 10-year Treasury, inflation pressure, consumer spending, fuel prices, and how distributors should think about planning for 2027. Kevin and Tom also discuss U.S.-Canada tariff tension, import prices, retail sales, reshoring, AI safety concerns, Anthropic, OpenAI, open-source models, AI regulation, and why distributors may be feeling overwhelmed by too many AI point solutions. The episode closes with discussion of connected data, systems of record, Office Depot’s brand shift, EB Horsman’s branch expansion, and LeadSmart’s upcoming launch. What You’ll Learn: Why the 10-year Treasury may be more important than the Fed funds rate for business planning How rate increases, fuel prices, and consumer spending affect wholesale distribution and manufacturing Why the U.S.-Canada tariff conflict could reshape trade conversations and customer expectations How AI safety warnings connect to regulation, open-source models, IPO incentives, and enterprise technology choices Why distributors need connected data, CRM-ERP integration, and enterprise growth platforms instead of scattered AI point solutions Timestamps / Chapters: 00:00 – What is changing at Around the Horn and LeadSmart? 06:30 – Why does the Fed rate increase matter for distributors? 17:00 – What does the 10-year Treasury signal about the economy? 30:00 – How are import prices, retail sales, and tariffs affecting planning? 40:30 – What does the U.S.-Canada tariff conflict mean for distribution? 49:30 – Why does reshoring matter for manufacturing strategy? 54:30 – Are AI safety warnings a real business concern? 1:11:00 – How should distributors think about AI tools, data, and platforms? Listen and subscribe on your favorite platform: https://podlink.com/1669657224 Learn more about LeadSmart Technologies: https://leadsmarttech.com Subscribe for more conversations on wholesale distribution, manufacturing, supply chain, AI, technology, leadership, sales, marketing, and the future of the industry.