STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 2026
Reshaping Distribution
An Inside Look at the Forces
In delivering the State of the Industry Reports, CEOs Jameel Burkett and Aaron Brown will detail how distributors and manufacturers are responding to economic, supply chain, and digital transformation pressures.
T
he pressure on equipment distributors has never been greater. Tariffs, labor shortages, and rising customer expectations are reshaping the industry — and no single company can navigate those forces alone. Issues involving freight handling, product information, transportation visibility, and customer communication often affect every stage of the supply chain. Through industry initiatives such as the FEDA Future of Distribution Council (FDC), distributors and manufacturers are working more closely than ever to strengthen communication, improve efficiency, and prepare for the future. The State of the Industry Reports at the 2026 FEDA Annual Executive Leadership Conference will provide an in-depth look at how this kind of collaboration sets the stage for long- term success.
By Ashley Mueller Director of Industry Programs and Professional Development
22 FEDA News & Views
Bringing together a distributor and manufacturer executive, the session will feature Jameel Burkett, president and CEO of Burkett Restaurant Equipment, and Aaron Brown, CEO of Refrigerated Solutions Group (RSG). Together, they will provide perspectives from their respective parts of the channel, sharing observations on the challenges companies are facing today and the strategies organizations are using to
remain competitive in a rapidly evolving market. Attendees will walk away with a tighter grasp on how their peers are responding to operational challenges by investing in innovation and creating more effective partnerships throughout the supply chain. Those perspectives will also help frame the keynote address by Verne Harnish, whose 4D framework for addressing the critical areas of people, strategy, execution, and cash aligns closely with the pressures currently shaping the foodservice equipment and supplies industry. For Burkett, that broader context is what makes sessions like this particularly valuable. “I’ve always found these sessions to provide a strong, high-level perspective on where the industry stands and where it’s headed,” he said of the State of the Industry. “Each speaker brings a unique viewpoint, and that diversity of perspective has been a valuable learning experience for me over the years.”
Burkett brings the viewpoint of a 20-year veteran of the foodservice equipment and supplies industry. After taking over his family’s business in Perrysburg, Ohio, in the early 2000s, he developed an intrapreneurial culture that emphasized technology adoption, team development, and a
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