November 2006

On a comparable basis, Rexel third quarter 2006 sales grew 13.8% over the same period in 2005. Sales growth was 15.7% in North America, 12.5% in Europe and 9.8% in Asia-Pacific. North American sales were strong despite a residential construction slowdown, fueled by steady upside in commercial construction and growth in industrial demand. In Canada, growth was […]

Wolseley plc, global distributor of plumbing and heating products to the contractor market and a building materials distributor, reported group revenue was up by more than 15% in the first three months of its fiscal 2007, which includes 5% organic growth. Profit was up 9%. In constant currency, revenue and profit would have been higher

Praxair Distribution, Inc., Danbury, CT, a subsidiary of Praxair, Inc., has acquired Casper’s Welding Solutions & Supply LLC, Canfield, OH, and Welding Equipment Company, Inc., Long Beach, CA. Both firms, with a total of 10 employees, were acquired at the end of October and reported combined sales of nearly $3 million in 2005. They each

Stock Building Supply, Raleigh, NC, has purchased Kempsville Building Materials Inc., Virginia Beach, VA, a supplier of lumber, stairs, trusses and other materials to home builders. Kempsville Building Materials had sales of more than $70 million in 2004, but sales have been declining since, the Virginian-Pilot reported. Kempsville’s general manager told the newspaper that the

Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation, Brookfield, WI, has tapped Steven P. Richman as its new president. Richman will be responsible for the Milwaukee brand and its role in manufacturing and marketing professional and industrial heavy-duty portable corded and cordless power tools, pneumatic tools, accessories and safety equipment. He will report directly to Horst Pudwill and will

September U.S. manufacturing technology consumption totaled $407.21 million, according to the American Machine Tool Distributors’ Association and The Association for Manufacturing Technology. This total was up 31.9 percent from August and up 43.1 percent from the total of $284.47 million reported for September 2005. With a year-to-date total of $2,815.34 million, 2006 was up 26.2

and other construction materials were down 4.0 percent, while sales of metals and minerals, except petroleum, increased 2.6 percent. More …September U.S. manufacturing technology consumption totaled $407.21 million, according to the American Machine Tool Distributors’ Association and the Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total was up 31.9% from August and up 43.1% from September 2005.

increase contact with medium-sized customers, Grainger is upping the number of inside salespeople focused on them by 35 percent. In addition, the distributor plans to send 100 percent more catalogs to smaller businesses next year, and do more direct mail with this group.Improved Logistics NetworkGrainger’s North American network can now reach 99 percent of its

months after delivery (and is not designated to be a critical repair part), the supplier should automatically issue a return-goods authorization and give the customer full credit for the return. Guarantees of performance. When it enters a VMI agreement, a customer invests in a specific amount of inventory anticipating a forecasted service level for the

HD Supply, Home Depot’s fast-growing wholesale division, reported sales increased 159% to $3.5 billion in the third quarter. HD Supply accounted for about 15% of The Home Depot’s overall sales.HD Supply organic growth was 7 percent, due to the slowdown in residential construction.Overall sales for The Home Depot were boosted by the supply sector, but

force, you've got to show them ?what's in it for me,'" Fitzgerald says. Binkelman showed its sales force that it could document what it has done for customers, including cost savings and getting out of bed at 2 in the morning to deliver a part. Then, if the customer is acquired, changes management or isfrustrated

September 2006 sales of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, were $330.2 billion, down 1.2 percent from the revised August level, but were up 8.1 percent from the September 2005 level. September sales of durable goods decreased 0.3 percent from last month, but were up 9.0 percent from a year ago. Compared to

Airgas, Inc., Radnor, PA, has agreed to buy the U.S. bulk gas business that Linde AG is required to divest after its acquisition of The BOC Group. Airgas will pay $495 million in cash for eight air separation units and related bulk gas business, which generated $154 million in revenues at the end of the year Dec.

Illinois Tool Works Inc., Glenview, IL, has acquired Ark-Les Corporation, Stoughton, MA, a developer of highly engineered electronic and electromechanical controls.Ark-Les is a global producer of electromechanical and electronic switches, sensors, connectors, controls, user interfaces and actuators. Products of Ark-Les are used in household appliances and automobiles.Ark-Les will be a wholly owned subsidiary of ITW

materials sector was boosted by higher sales of lumber and millwork (+3.4%), which rose for the second consecutive month, and building supplies (+1.8%). Meanwhile, sales of metal products continued their recent slide (-2.9%). The recent rises in lumber sales follow four months of major declines, as lumber wholesalers struggle to cope with a slumping US

Industrial distributor Grainger, Chicago, IL, announced its Lab Safety Supply subsidiary has agreed to acquire Professional Inspection Equipment Inc. and Construction Book Express Inc, both companies operating from the same address in Hauppage, NY. The businesses are direct marketers of tools, instruments and reference materials to the $2.5 billion building and home inspection market. “Our strategy

Strategic Distribution, Inc., Bristol, PA, distributor of MRO products, reported revenues of $46.2 million for the third quarter 2006 compared with $37.5 million for the third quarter of 2005. Strategic attributed the rise to $6.8 million of growth within the existing customer base and $1.9 million from new customers.  The company reported net income of $0.2