Titanium 311 - August
August 13, 2026
3 FROM AYNA HUB - PODCASTS & ARTICLES
PODCAST
Scott Barbour: Inside ADS's Growth Blueprint
A 6x rise in market cap in under a decade. Scott Barbour on the pricing, operations, and acquisition playbook that got ADS there.
PODCAST
Riaz Raihan: Industrial AI That Moves the P&L
Most industrial AI stalls in the pilot phase. Riaz Raihan on how Trane Technologies gets it into production and onto the P&L.
ARTICLE
Advent of the Augmented Commercial Team in Industrials
Sales, product management, channel ops. How AI is augmenting the three roles that turn what industrials build into what the market pays for.
1 INITIATIVE - INDUSTRIALS 250
Built to Last.
Built to Scale.
Built to Power America.
Industrials 250 — sector myths, demolished by data
In recent editions, we introduced Industrials 250: Ayna's list of the 250 companies powering the U.S. economy, marking America's 250th year. This month, we turned the lens on the sector itself, analyzing ~90 micro-verticals across ~1,000 public companies. The finding: industrials isn't one sector, it's a portfolio of distinct businesses. The top quartile delivered 27.7% annualized TSR against 15.4% for the S&P 500 — with a 2,600bps spread separating the strongest micro-verticals from the weakest.
A few things the data put to rest:
Growth isn't anemic. 19 micro-verticals are growing 10%+, all outpacing the S&P 500.
Margins aren't thin. Top-quartile micro-verticals post EBITDA margins near 30%.
It isn't in decline. 61% of micro-verticals have most end markets growing.
The real question was never about the sector. It's about the micro-vertical: which are growing, which generate cash, which ride structural tailwinds. That's the lens i250 brings to the sector.
1 SPOTLIGHT - CXO EVENT
G49 2026 — Competing at the Frontier
Stanly Ranch, Napa · September 16–18, 2026
Continuing our look at G49 2026, this year's summit convenes influential global CXOs, investors, policymakers, and thought leaders to debate the forces shaping the world economy. Themed "Competing at the Frontier," it brings together 60+ senior leaders across industries and regions to explore how intelligence, resilience, and bold leadership are redefining competitiveness. Conversations span AI and its real-world industrial applications, semiconductor strategy, geopolitical risk, cybersecurity, and the financial imperatives facing today's enterprises. We featured three speakers last month; here are three more taking the stage:
John Greene · CFO, Northrop Grumman Seasoned finance leader across highly regulated industries; former CFO of Discover Financial Services; earlier, 12 years at GE and CFO roles at Bioverativ and Willis Group.
Steven Feldstein · Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Author of The Rise of Digital Repression and the forthcoming Bytes and Bullets; former U.S. State Department official; expert on technology, warfare, and geopolitical risk.
Matthew Rosengart · Partner, Greenberg Traurig Former federal prosecutor and one of the country's top litigators; represented Britney Spears, Sean Penn, and Steven Spielberg; known for high-stakes crisis and reputation cases.
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