You Can’t Replace the Handshake: Bob Mirbaha on Vendors, AI, and 30 Years in Distribution

Vendor relationships are easy to talk about and hard to build. Bob Mirbaha of Metro Electric Supply has been doing it for over 30 years — and he’s seen everything change except the fundamentals.In this conversation, Bob breaks down his B2B relationship building philosophy from the ground up: why he goes straight to manufacturers rather than relying on reps, how he decides which vendors deserve his loyalty (and which don’t), and how he approaches vendor management and consolidation in a market where too many partners can actually weaken your position.Bob also shares what it takes to stay connected as industry contacts move from company to company, and why LinkedIn notifications aren’t enough for real B2B sales success. He makes the case for industry associations like EBMI as the irreplaceable fabric of a regional distribution market, and explains why AI Adoption will free up more time for face-to-face contact, not replace it.Whether you’re in electrical distribution, wholesale, or any B2B business, Bob’s hard-won wisdom on building lasting business relationships translates across the distribution industry.