JD Dixon has never taken the conventional path—and his journey into the laundry industry is no exception.

In this episode of CCI Drive Time, Steve sits down with JD, owner of National Laundry Equipment in Nashville, Tennessee, for a wide-ranging conversation about nearly two decades in laundry distribution, operating laundromats, building a service organization, and navigating an industry that looks very different than it did when JD entered the business in 2008.

Along the way, JD draws lessons from private equity, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, British naval history, artificial intelligence, and his own experiences as a business owner. While the stories occasionally take the scenic route, they continually return to one central idea: great distribution is about stewardship.

JD shares why he believes the distributor plays a critical role between manufacturers and store owners, particularly when customers are investing significant portions of their savings into a new business. He discusses the importance of local knowledge, strong manufacturer support, listening to customers, knowing when to push back—and sometimes having the courage to tell a customer that a project simply shouldn’t move forward.

Steve and JD also explore the increasing consolidation of laundry distribution, the challenges facing independent distributors, the economics of running a full-service organization, and why service and support may ultimately be more important than the brand name on the equipment.

JD also explains how owning laundromats himself has changed the way he advises customers. Having experienced the financial pressure, construction headaches, operational challenges, and occasional 2:00 AM problems firsthand gives him a perspective that can’t always be learned from a spreadsheet.

It’s an unconventional, candid, and story-filled conversation about what it means to be a distributor—and why having someone personally invested in the customer’s success still matters.