January 25, 2006

Esmark has acquired North Aurora, IL-based Premier Resource Group LLC, a service center specializing in pre-painted steel products with annual revenues of $30 million. The combined revenues of the Esmark steel services family of companies now exceed $700 million. Esmark has made at least eight acquisitions since 2003.In making the announcement, Esmark Chairman and CEO […]

eight decades, the company also provided management services for the National Industrial Distributors Association, one of the predecessor organizations to today’s ISA. Thomas Associates, Cleveland, OH, will end its work with ISA effective May 31, 2006. The company managed the organization and its manufacturing association predecessors for 57 years.The Global Industrial Supply Marketing Organization has

The Conference Board’s Index of Leading Economic Indicators increased 0.1 percent in December, indicating uneven growth in the next year. The Conference Board reported gains of 0.9 percent in November and 1 percent in October.The Wall Street Journal reported that Conference Board Chairman Ken Goldsten said the indexes, taken together, imply a “quite choppy pattern

In a move likely to be felt across many wholesale distribution sectors, the U.S. and Mexico have agreed to resolve a 16-year dispute on anti-dumping duties on Mexican cement imports. The National Association of Home Builders said the agreement will lead to free trade and will alleviate shortages reported in more than 30 states. Prices

The price of the key raw ingredient used in tungsten carbide tooling, Ammonium Para Tungstate, has spiked from around $70 a metric ton unit to more than $300 a metric ton unit in just the past year. That means manufacturers have had to pass on the increased price of making the tools onto distributors who

identify the total value that National could bring the client besides the price of the product, the COO was surprised by the client’s eagerness to work cooperatively on opportunities such as optimizing billing. The two companies have been able to identify changes that each can make to improve business processes and deliver additional value. National

(product specialists, inside sales, administrative personnel), but also warehouses and inventory. It became imperative that new customers be brought on board. Then, as the economy faltered, so did the company’s sales and bottom line. The problem was that the level of urgency among the salesforce was not as high as that among the managers of

percent; plumbing/HVAC, 24 percent; utilities, 11 percent; MRO, 10 percent; electrical, 10 percent; industrial PVF, 8 percent; and building materials, 6 percent.In just the past year, HD Supply has grown 143 percent, according to numbers provided at HD’s annual investor conference. The supply division’s organic growth was 20 percent in 2005.HD Supply’s sales before it

Airgas Inc., Radnor, PA, distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases, welding, safety and related products, saw a 17% jump in sales to $702 million in the third quarter 2005, thanks to strong same-store sales and acquisition growth.Profit for the quarter grew 34% to $31 million, compared with $23 million in the prior year period.

Praxair Inc., Danbury, CN, reported a 13% rise in sales for the fourth quarter of 2005 to $2 billion, compared with $1.7 billion for the same period in 2004. Profit grew 19% to $345 million from the fourth quarter 2004. For 2005, Praxair reported a 16% gain in sales to $7.7 billion. Profit was $726 million. In