Episode 11: Leadership Lessons from 33 Years in Distribution

Recorded at NAW’s 2026 Innovators Summit in Nashville, this episode features Kevin Short, CEO of ORS Nasco and Treasurer of NAW’s Board of Directors. Kevin has spent 33 years in distribution, across chemicals, plastics and industrial supplies. NAW CEO Eric Hoplin talks with Kevin about how he got his start in the warehouse, the four traits ORS Nasco builds its culture around, and how the company has made six add-on acquisitions in 19 months. They also discuss how ORS Nasco became an early adopter of AI, and Kevin’s advice for distributors weighing new technology. Kevin also shares takeaways from his mainstage conversation with 3M CEO Bill Brown, what it was like representing the industry in Washington as NAW’s 2025 Board Chair, and the story behind the nickname President George W. Bush gave him. In this episode: How ORS Nasco serves distributors exclusively as a pure wholesaler Growing through acquisitions while keeping the leaders of acquired companies on board Kevin’s path from forklift driver to CEO Why likability, tenacity, curiosity and humility guide ORS Nasco’s culture Starting with AI-powered product recommendations and building from there Why distributors should use their branch networks to test new technology What Bill Brown’s commitment to “thinking in minutes and hours” means for suppliers and distributors Representing distribution in Washington, and Kevin’s bucket list of golf courses Subscribe to Distributors Deliver for more conversations with the most dynamic leaders in the distribution industry.