October 2006

Airgas, Inc., Radnor, PA, U.S. distributor of industrial, medical, and specialty gases, welding, safety, and related products, reported second-quarter sales of $791 million, up 13% over the previous year. Total same-store sales were up 11%, with hardgoods up 10% and gas and rent up 11%, reflecting pricing and solid demand in industrial production, energy and

What are the obstacles in getting more distributors involved?HL: The size of distributors is an issue along with language problems. Countries like Switzerland and Belgium have several official languages the association cannot afford to be multilingual. And multilingual means accommodating more than just three different languages.MDM: What about Eastern European distributors’ involvement is this important

Hellman & Friedman, LLC and Thoma Cressey Capital Partners, LLC purchased Activant Solutions, which provides vertical business management software and owns Prophet 21, software focused on distribution. Singer Equities, a firm active in the rubber business, bought out Maine-based PRC Industrial Supply, a distributor of rubber, hose and accessories. Heritage Partners recently invested in electrical

million and expects 2006 sales to reach $600 million. The company is a national distributor of low-voltage network infrastructure and industrial wire and cable products. It has 32 branches, a sales force of more than 300 associates, and its marketing focuses on Fortune 1000 and large institutional customers in the U.S. The acquisition will close

Praxair, Inc., Danbury, CT, third-quarter sales rose 11% to $2,099 million, compared with $1,890 million in the 2005 quarter. Net income rose to $247 million. “Activity in the industrial economy has continued to be strong, and we have not seen any meaningful decline in demand from our customers,” said Dennis H. Reilley, chairman and CEO. “Looking

similar to last year, dropping to 70 percent in September 2006 from 72 percent in September 2005. Although the composite index and several individual indexes point to slower growth, several indexes’notably exports and capacity utilization’rose,” said Daniel J. Meckstroth, Ph.D., Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI chief economist. “Further, all of the indexes remain well above the 50 percent

Applied Industrial Technologies, Cleveland, OH, first quarter 2007 sales grew 11% to $492.5 million. Net income rose by 25.3% to $21.1 million.   Commenting on the performance, Applied Chairman and CEO David L. Pugh said, “We have had a very good start to what we expect to be another very good year.  A healthy increase

Snap-on Inc., Kenosha, WI, manufacturer of tools, diagnostics and equipment for professional users, has agreed to acquire ProQuest Business Solutions from ProQuest Company for about $480 million in cash plus $19 million of debt.ProQuest Business Solutions’ products are aimed at helping original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and their dealers enhance service operations. ProQuest Business Solutions’ products

Building Materials Holding Corporation, San Francisco, CA, provider of construction services and building materials to professional residential builders and contractors, today reported sales for the third quarter of 2006 increased 1% to $831 million from $820 million in the same quarter a year ago. For the nine months ended Sept. 30, 2006, sales increased 26%

Schneider Electric sales for the third quarter of 2006 totaled 3,480 million ($4,373 million), up 15.3% on a current structure and exchange rate basis from the year-earlier period. Acquisitions (primarily Juno Lighting, BEI Technologies, Merten and Clipsal Asia) contributed a 216 million ($271 million), or 7.1% of growth for the period.   Schneider Electric benefited

Rockwell Automation, Inc., Milwaukee, WI, provider of industrial automation power, control and information solutions, reported sales for fiscal 2006 were $5,561.4 million, up 11% compared to 2005. Profit was $607 million, compared with $540 million in 2005.   Fourth-quarter sales were $1,453.7 million, up 9% compared to the same period last year. Profit was $165.8

Kennametal has selected Hagemeyer North America as a strategic partner to promote the Cle-Line brand of maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) cutting tools in North America. This decision provides customers in every major market in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico with access to the Cle-Line brand.Cle-Line brand cutting tools, which include drills, taps, and dies,

Danaher Corporation, Washington, D.C., sales for the third quarter ended Sept. 29, 2006, were $2,443 million, 24% higher than the same period last year. Profit was 17% higher at $268 million. Sales for the first nine months of 2006 were $6,936 million, an increase of 21% over the same period a year ago. Profit for the

Canada, remain robust.The only decline in the personal and household goods sector came in the apparel trade group, where sales fell 4.8% after rising 1.6% in July. While August is normally a very strong month for clothing and footwear wholesalers (this is the time when retailers are gearing up for the traditional “back to school” shopping period),

Myers Industries, Inc., Akron, OH, has agreed to sell its European Material Handling Group to the UK-based LINPAC Materials Handling (LMH). Myers Industries European Material Handling Group is comprised of the Allibert-Buckhorn and raaco brands, which are manufacturers of returnable plastic containers, pallets, and storage systems used across many industries. John C. Orr, Myers Industries’

Barnes Group Inc., Bristol, CT, sales for the third quarter 2006 were $322 million, up 19% from the same period last year. Profit was up 61% to $18.9 million. For the nine months ended September 30, 2006, Barnes Group’s sales were $930.8 million, up 13%. Net income increased 24% to $55.3 million.  Barnes Distribution sales were

Jacuzzi Brands Inc., West Palm Beach, FL, and its directors, which recently agreed to sell Jacuzzi’s plumbing products business to RBS Global Inc., the parent of Rexnord, have been named as defendants in two purported stockholder class-action lawsuits filed Oct. 13, 2006, in the Chancery Court of the State of Delaware.The lawsuits allege that the

DXP Enterprises, Inc., has acquired Gulf Coast Torch & Regulator, Inc., a full-service distributor of welding supplies in Houston, TX, for $5.5 million and $0.2 million in debt.  The unaudited sales and EBITDA for the acquired business for the nine months ending Sept. 30, 2006 were $13.2 million and $850,000, respectively.  DXP also recently acquired

WESCO International Inc., distributor of electrical MRO products and construction materials, sales were $1,343 million in the third quarter 2006, an increase of 18.7% from the prior-year period. Profit was $59.4 million, versus $25 million last year. Sales for the nine months ended Sept. 30, 2006, were $3,945 million, a 23.9% increase from last year. Sales