[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:05] Speaker B: Hello and welcome to Distribution Unpacked. My name is Charles McLaughlin and here with me today is Brad Bingham from Torque. Brad, thank you so much for coming today.
[00:00:12] Speaker A: Thank you for having me. Good morning.
[00:00:14] Speaker B: Good morning. So why don’t you take a moment to introduce yourself and what you do at TORC to our audience.
[00:00:19] Speaker A: All right. My name is Brad Bingham. I’m the key account manager for SCD North America, calling the office and wholesale channel. So working with our wholesale partners like S.B. richards, as well as all of our office dealers, direct or indirect. Great.
[00:00:34] Speaker B: So with your unique role on our channel, tell me about some of the marketing trends you’re seeing in the distribution wholesale industry today. And what is Torque and you specifically in your role, what are you looking to focus on to address these trends?
[00:00:49] Speaker A: Well, we’ve always seen the kind of that red thread in the talent tissue market. You know, you’re looking at the environmental aspects of our products, we’re looking at the functionality of our dispensers, we’re looking at, you know, the inclusive restroom to make sure that, you know, the dispensers and the products that we produce, you know, are applicable for all those that are going to be utilizing those systems.
[00:01:09] Speaker B: Sure.
[00:01:10] Speaker A: Looking at the waste consumption or reduction in waste through consumption with those dispensing systems as well. That’s right, yep.
[00:01:18] Speaker B: So that’s, you know, you’re talking about sustainability. That’s one of these key market trends that we’re looking at. Like how important is sustainability to our customer channel in the wholesale market?
[00:01:30] Speaker A: Yes. I mean, it, it varies in degrees depending on the segment that you’re working in. But in recent, you know, years and just in the last few months, some of the regulations and laws that states are passing, you know, in Washington, California, Massachusetts, even those segments that might not be as in tune to, you know, those environmental messages are kind of being forced into it.
[00:01:52] Speaker B: Right.
[00:01:52] Speaker A: But looking at that segmentation, whether it’s, you know, your office A through C class buildings, your municipal College K through 12.
[00:02:02] Speaker B: Right.
[00:02:03] Speaker A: But not just so much, you know, what is the recycled content, but what are you doing with your packaging, what are you doing with the waste from your production processes, and what are you using to produce that paper? And, you know, and in Europe, Essidia has mills that operate on wheat straw, and In North America, 100% recycled fiber that we use at our manufacturing facilities.
[00:02:23] Speaker B: That’s great. So I, you know, we see a lot on our side, a lot of contract bids and contract furniture. Some of those states you mentioned do have that sustainability requirement. So it’s great that you guys are able to, not just from a product standpoint, but from a packaging standpoint as well, be able to kind of deliver on that.
[00:02:39] Speaker A: That’s something I’ve been in the industry for, for way longer than, than you know, 30, 34 years now.
And you know, I had a, a mentor tell me once, you know, those that produce the products and provide it also need to find ways to help our customers, you know, reclaim that and help with that, you know, that, that chain of recycled fiber and how we can work with them. So it’s right. Very exciting times.
[00:03:05] Speaker B: Absolutely. And we’ll see how other states respond to these trends that we’re seeing pop up.
[00:03:09] Speaker A: You need to be aware of it.
[00:03:11] Speaker B: Absolutely, absolutely. So you mentioned a couple vertical markets earlier with your enterprise office buildings as well as, you know, your school buildings. So what are some of the unique demands that you’re seeing in some of these more popular vertical markets for torque and how are you guys adapting to those markets specifically?
[00:03:30] Speaker A: What we’re seeing is, you know, the, the overall, you know, consolidation in the market. What, you know, so much so on the distribution, the wholesale, we’re seeing it in the linen companies with Cintas and Universe.
But looking at that streamline and the number of dealers out there and customers looking at what does that assortment look like? So days of maybe stocking 200 items or four different types of towels, you know, is being pared down because of needing to fill out those trucks. Full pallets, full pallets of products or full tiers as opposed to the one and two drops. Looking at the different segmentation, you know, from you know, class A and a lot of your, your businesses pre Covid, you know, they, they had enough cleaners, they had enough people in that building. Well now, you know, they might have half the amount of cleaners that they once had. So how can you provide them with systems that not only, you know, meet those environmental aspects that they’re looking for, meet the hands free high capacity, but, but then also how do we improve the efficiencies? So that’s through our torque vision, cleaning the Internet of things where we can have monitored dispensers looking at uniformity. So being able to provide them with one system, that’s one key, one product throughout an entire facility. So just all about how can we give back to the, to our customers not just from an environmental product innovation, but then how can we provide them with getting more time back as well?
[00:04:58] Speaker B: Got it. So providing those innovative products and then also SKU consolidation and Maximizing the efficiency of that order, that truckload are some key ways to kind of get out there.
[00:05:09] Speaker A: Yeah. And you’re, and you’re seeing that, you know, in our product offering and this was introduced five years ago with our peakserve system, with our compressed technology. And we’re taking that technology now over to our, you know, regular multifold market. So looking at how can we provide 4,000 towels in a case that’s half the size of your standard.
[00:05:29] Speaker B: Right.
[00:05:29] Speaker A: So more efficiencies for the trailers, more efficiencies for our customers, more product and existing dispensers that you don’t have to swap it.
[00:05:37] Speaker B: So more product on the truck.
[00:05:39] Speaker A: On the truck. And that’s what everyone likes. Especially then you’re looking at dimensional freight costs, you know, so much now with E Comm and you know, shipping of products. So very exciting times.
[00:05:50] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:05:51] Speaker A: Take air out of a case. Who would have thought?
[00:05:53] Speaker B: Air out of the case. Right. Stuff those trucks. Yes, absolutely. So you’ve mentioned a couple of these logistics solutions that you guys are able to provide to help our dealers kind of move your product more effectively. But how else can customers of ours, that wholesale dealer, succeed with your products and succeed with torque?
[00:06:12] Speaker A: You know, I feel that, you know, we don’t, whether you a customer of ours or dealers purchasing direct or through wholesale, they’re viewed no different through Essidy’s eyes. They have all the resources from a marketing direct manufacturer representation.
We also have broker support. But where I see that success is try not to be a me too for all of your customers. Find out who are those manufacturers and they’re in every category, whether it’s towel tissue liners, chemicals that you want to lead with and then lean on those manufacturers with their resources, kind of look at it as a, as an extension of your own salesforce. The most successful DSRs that I’ve ever worked with are those that utilize the greatest of those manufacturers reps. Right. So when they’re out making their calls, they know that they have Sally, Jim, Mary out making calls on their behalf as well, driving business back to their customers. So, you know, if I had to say anything to the dealers or customers through wholesale, it’s, it’s, you know. Yes. You’re opened up to this whole wonderful world of products that SP might have. But don’t let that, you know, cloud your, your goal and what you want to have for your people going to market. There’ll be those one offs.
[00:07:25] Speaker B: Right.
[00:07:25] Speaker A: But, but pick a lead dog in each category that you’re going to work with and grow your business.
[00:07:30] Speaker B: Got it. Stay, stay focused on that key solution that you’re providing to that customer and then utilize that torque sales team as well.
[00:07:38] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:07:39] Speaker B: Awesome. So we have a. To pivot for a moment. We have a tagline here at SP Richards. Simplifying complexity.
Right.
The complex nature of just distributing product across the country every day, you guys are no stranger to that as well as we try and stuff paper in the, in those trucks.
So what complexity are you guys focused on addressing today? And how are you, how are you handling that?
[00:08:05] Speaker A: Well, a lot of it’s again, with the efficiencies and looking at our overall assortment because we realize that we just can’t keep, you know, innovating to innovate, you know, coming to our wholesale partners, thus then going to our customers through wholesale saying, oh, here’s the four new multifolds we brought out or here’s the new roll towel system when they’re already stocking. So we need to be very purposeful in what we bring to market. Yeah. And what we present. Working with wholesale for product innovations so that, you know, not just be. Not have the blinders on when looking at, well, who are the customers that are buying through through spr, but also looking at who are those directs that maybe want to build that new item through wholesale before going with it on a direct basis. So. And then also working again, you know, with our distribution partners through SPR to make sure that we’re maximizing, you know, the product assortment. We’re not showing things that aren’t in stock or something that we know is not going to be an issue for sp.
[00:09:06] Speaker B: Right, right. Keeping that inventory data clean, but also just really focusing on deliver solutions for your customers. I mean, that’s, that’s great. And Brad, thank you so much for your time today. Before we close out, I just want to give the floor to you. Is there anything else that we need to know about you, your role at TORC or TORC in general before we close out today?
[00:09:27] Speaker A: I mean, I would just like to say, I mean SV is a strong proponent and supporter of the wholesale and office channel.
We look to grow in this, the resources that we’ve allocated with a dedicated team with also the harbinger representation that we have to help to get out to everybody, just from a geographical standpoint and all the customers that we have, but continuing to innovate and looking to partner with SP, you know, in 2026 and beyond.
[00:09:55] Speaker B: Great. Well, Brad, thank you so much for your time today.
[00:09:58] Speaker A: Thank you.
[00:09:59] Speaker B: Yes, thank you. And thank you everyone for watching and have a great day.
[00:10:02] Speaker A: All right? Thank you.
[00:10:03] Speaker B: Bye. Gu.
[00:10:11] Speaker A: It.
