PSDI Acquires Modern Distribution Management

Posted on January 10, 2000

PSDI, a provider of enterprise asset maintenance (EAM) systems and MRO ecommerce systems, has announced that it has acquired Modern Distribution Management (MDM), an information resource covering strategic management issues affecting suppliers and distributors of MRO supplies, for approximately $1.3 million. All of the newsletter's content and editorial resources will now become part of the MRO.com website.

"We understand that content is fundamental to humanizing technology, branding, driving traffic and enhancing site 'stickiness,'" commented Rob Bloom, vice president marketing communications worldwide for MRO.com. "Toward that end, we are building several key content alliances and creating an internal publishing infrastructure dedicated to aggregating content and critical sourcing information for the industrial distribution marketplace. The acquisition of MDM will allow MRO.com to deliver strategic news and management information to MRO industrial distribution firms, manufacturers of MRO products, and a huge community of users of MRO goods and services."

Joining MRO.com will be MDM's editor Thomas P. Gale, who will oversee the editorial content of the portal. "Our charter at MDM was to be the leading supplier of breaking news, management information, data and analysis for the MRO industry," said Gale. "Through MRO.com, we now plan to build on that traditional focus and expand our audience to meet the information needs of MRO customers as well as distributors and suppliers." Gale, a 1977 graduate of Columbia University, has more than 15 years of journalism experience in trade and business publications focusing on manufacturing and distribution. Gale will be MRO.com's executive editor.

The 2,000 subscribers of MDM will continue to receive the biweekly newsletter. In related news, PSDI announced that Jim Powers has joined PSDI as vice president, business, portal division. Powers will work closely with Tom Gale to produce content for the MRO.com portal as well as form alliances with traditional print media services. Powers joins MRO.com after 13 years with Putman Publishing Company.