Celebrating Independents Around the World

AD was founded in the United States in 1981 and began to operate internationally in 1993. We set out with a simple mission – to help independent distributors and best-in-class suppliers work together to accelerate their growth and increase their profitability. 

Over the last 40 years, our membership has grown to account for over $75 billion in global sales, a figure that continues to grow. As our scale continues to increase so does our ability to invest in the programs and services that help our members around the globe to grow, increase profitability and outperform the market. 

We deeply respect cultural diversity and industry differences, and we adapt our programs and approach to ensure they’re aligned with local culture, business priorities and ways of doing business.