2006

GE, Fairfield, CT, has agreed to sell GE Advanced Materials (Silicones & Quartz) to Apollo Management, L.P., a private investment firm, in a deal valued at $3.8 billion in cash and securities.GE Advanced Materials is a $2.5 billion supplier of silicone-based products, silanes, sealants, urethane additives and adhesives; and high-purity fused quartz and ceramics materials.

Protective Industrial Products, Inc., Guilderland Center, NY, supplier of gloves to industrial distributors throughout the U.S., has acquired the Brahma Glove Division from Great Southern Corporation, not to include advertising specialty or licensed products. Steve Vaught, the former president of Great Southern, will be the general manager of the newly created Brahma Glove Co. Division of Protective Industrial Products,

Plymouth Rubber Company, Inc., Canton, MA, and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Brite-Line Technologies, Inc., have emerged from Chapter 11, supported by an infusion of new equity from Chrysalis Capital Partners, LP, a private equity firm, and a new senior credit facility provided by Wells Fargo Business Credit. The companies’ Plan of Reorganization, which became effective Sept.

The U.S. Census Bureau announced that July 2006 sales of merchant wholesalers were $331.7 billion, up 0.4% from the revised June level and 12.6% from July 2005 level. The June preliminary estimate was revised downward $0.7 billion, or 0.2%. July sales of durable goods increased 0.1% from last month and 10.4% from July 2005. July

RBC Bearings Inc., Oxford, CT, an international manufacturer of highly-engineered precision plain, roller and ball bearings for the industrial, defense and aerospace industries, has acquired All Power Manufacturing Co. in Santa Fe Springs, CA, for $9.3 million in cash. The company manufactures a line of bearings and precision parts for use in commercial and military

Home Depot Supply of Canada has acquired Grafton Utility Supply, an electrical utility distributor in Canada. Established in 1978, Grafton Utility Supply distributes transmission and distribution products. It has 72 associates and operates in four cities: Colborne, Ontario; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Calgary, Alberta; and Surrey, British Columbia. Products include wire and cable, transformers, connectors, switches, insulators,

may appear actionable under the ADEA.  However, said policy will be defensible when based on a reasonable factor other than age. Such policy factors, when properly reasoned and explained, are not actionable. Two factors make claims under the ADEA something that all distributors should focus on. First, with the aging of the baby boomer generation, there

and thereby, help to optimize pricing decisions.The new system rollout was not without its challenges, but over time, pricing procedures took hold. While salesforce training was important to the implementation, nothing beat hands-on system experience to help the pricing procedures become an integral part of the organization’s day-today business. TodayPrice setting and price execution are complex.

Moderate acceleration in the manufacturing sector in 2006 will likely be followed by pronounced slowing in 2007, according to the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI Quarterly Industrial Outlook-Second Quarter 2006, a report that analyzes 27 major industries. In a sign of consistent strength in manufacturing, second quarter 2006 figures show that 19 of the 27 industries tracked in the

Genuine Parts Company, Atlanta, GA, has announced a new operating unit, the Heavy Vehicle Parts Group USA. The new unit, based in Atlanta will have dedicated facilities across the U.S. that supply replacement parts for the repair and maintenance of heavy-duty trucks and trailers. This group will serve fleet operators, major repair facilities, trailer OEM’s and others

Lawson Products President and COO Jeffrey B. Belford will retire in January after more than 26 years with the company. Thomas Neri, Lawson’s executive vice president for finance, planning and corporate development, will assume the role of COO immediately and will become president beginning in January. In other Lawson news, the company is starting construction to

Graybar, St. Louis, MO, distributor of electrical and communications products and related supply chain management and logistics services, posted 19.7% growth in the first half of 2006 to $2.45 billion compared to the same period last year. ‘Our revenues are up nearly 20%, and we only increased head count 5%, mostly in customer-facing roles,’ said

Motion Industries, Inc., Birmingham, AL, a distributor of industrial maintenance, repair, and operation (MRO) replacement parts, has acquired Ruston Industrial, Ruston, LA, and Hydraulic Depot in West Monroe, LA. Ruston Industrial sells bearings, mechanical power transmission, fluid power products, and industrial products. Ruston Industrial has a total of five locations: Ruston, LA; Pine Bluff, AR;

HD Supply of Canada has acquired Grafton Utility Supply, an electrical utility distributor in Canada.Established in 1978, Grafton Utility Supply distributes transmission and distribution products. It has 72 associates and operates in four cities: Colborne, Ontario; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Calgary, Alberta; and Surrey, British Columbia. Serving major Canadian-based utilities and utility contractors, its products include wire