Conventional thinking claims that only distributors larger than a billion dollars can build successful marketplaces. Bay Supply is much smaller than that, but its fastener marketplace is taking off. Like most wholesalers, Bay Supply is facing new marketplace entrants supported by tech startups, national distributors, manufacturers and even software providers that are fighting to reach the buyer directly through these rapidly evolving platforms. Unlike other distributors, Bay Supply jumped into the marketplace competition itself. And they’re recruiting manufacturers and distributors to join their platform in a friendlier ecosystem than many of the alternatives. Mike Eichinger, Bay Supply COO, joined us on the Wholesale Change show on Aug. 31 at 9PT/12ET. He shared how Bay Supply is taking a collaborative approach to supporting distributors who want to reach sourcing professionals with an efficient solution while maintaining their brand and positioning as experts in the field.