2006

Genuine Parts Company, Atlanta, GA, reported sales increased 6% to $2.7 billion for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, 2006. Net income was $121.3 million, an increase of 9% from the same period a year ago.For the nine months ended Sept. 30, 2006, sales totaled $7.9 billion, up 7% compared to the same period in […]

The Fastenal Company, Winona, MN, had sales of $470 million in the third quarter ended Sept. 30, 2006, an increase of 16.9% over the same period in 2005. Profit increased 17.8% to $54.1 million. Sales for the first nine months totaled $1.36 billion, an increase of 19.4% over the same period in 2005. Profit increased 20.2%

quarter of 2006 after surging at a 29.6-percent SAAR in the second quarter of 2006. Crude goodsThe Producer Price Index for Crude Materials for Further Processing fell 3.4% in September following a 2.2-percent increase in August. Prices for crude energy materials turned down after rising in the previous month. Conversely, the basic industrial materials index

percentage point above its 1972-2005 average. By stage of process, the operating rate for industries at the crude stage climbed 0.2 percentage point, to 89.0%. In contrast, the operating rate for industries at the primary and semifinished stages fell 1 percentage point, to 82.6%, just 0.5 percentage point above the long-run average for this group.

Praxair Distribution Inc., a subsidiary of Praxair, Inc., Danbury, CT, has acquired Hobart Industrial Gases of Fort Wayne, IN. Since 1956, Hobart Industrial Gases has supplied a wide array of packaged industrial, medical and specialty gases, welding equipment, supplies and services to Indiana and Ohio. “This acquisition provides a great opportunity to integrate the strengths and

2005 third quarter. On a daily sales basis, sales were up 9%. The acquisition of the business of Rand Materials Handling Equipment Co. in January 2006 contributed 4 percentage points to the sales growth. Operating earnings were flat for the 2006 third quarter. A lower gross profit margin on Rand’s product sales, higher integration and media

Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation, Cleveland, OH, sales for the third quarter 2006 were up 13% from the same period a year ago. Sales were $3.12 billion. Net income rose 25% to $248 million.‘We expect the growth rate in our overall end markets to weaken slightly in the fourth quarter, id=bwanpa11>’ said Chairman and CEO

DXP Enterprises, Inc., Houston, TX, has acquired Safety International, Odessa, TX, for $2.2 million in cash and approximately $.5 million worth of debt. The company provides safety and environmental consulting and training services as well as safety equipment sales, service and rental. The acquired business has operated since 1963. The deal was funded under DXP’s

RBS Global, Inc., the parent company of Rexnord Corporation, will acquire the plumbing products business of Jacuzzi Brands, Inc. for $950 million in cash.  Rexnord anticipates the purchase price will be financed through an equity investment by private equity firm Apollo Management and its affiliates of $290 million and debt financing of approximately $660 million.

>UK-based Wolseley plc, parent to Ferguson and Stock Building Supply, and global distributor of plumbing and heating products and building materials, has made four more bolt-on acquisitions, expected to add about $278.24 million (148 million) in additional revenue.>North America>Ferguson> has acquired Lawrence Plumbing Supply Co. and Castle Supply Company Inc. and Castle North Corporation (Castle

to $1.6 billion. Hornsby says Wolseley wants to do the same in other segments in all geographies it serves.Wolseley made 53 acquisitions last year and plan to continue at that pace. The company estimates at least $400 million in acquisitions to made in the coming year, but would not comment on potential larger targets. The

Dr. Daniel Thorniley, senior global consultant of the Economist Corporate Network in Vienna, Austria, presented Global Business Outlook” at the recent European Power Transmission Distributors Association annual meeting in Austria. Thorniley is a senior consultant to about 250 corporations including Dow, Dupont, Glaxo SmithKline, Henkel and SKF. Some of the more interesting observations gleaned by

in August was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1,200.7 billion, 0.3 percent above the revised July estimate of $1,196.8 billion. The August figure is 4.4 percent above the August 2005 estimate of $1,150.3 billion. During the first eight months of this year, construction spending amounted to $793.2 billion, 7.2% above the $739.9

to do the transactions but they couldn’t do it quickly enough.” Two weeks later, after additional training, the test was successful. “Going live was basically a non-issue,” Ludwig says.The Bottom LineHTI’s ERP system supports rapid growth, enabling the company to incorporate new acquisitions. The company has greater visibility into supply, demand and changing costs. HTI

2006, experience a 0.5 percent gain during the fourth quarter, and then a 1.5 percent gain through the first and second quarters of 2007. As China allows for more currency flexibility and as the new Mexican government builds credibility in the wake of a tense post-election period, MAPI expects the dollar to fall modestly by

Three independent distributors have decided to open a branch together. The three-in-one approach will give their customers more products in one location and makes the niche distributors more competitive and attractive to vendors. The branch will open in November.Three independent distributors in central Pennsylvania APR Supply (HVAC/plumbing), Industrial Piping Systems (pipe, valves & fittings) and

Results from three recently released surveys show health benefit costs increases slowed in 2006 and will continue to in 2007. But health benefits continue to outpace wages and inflation. One survey reported that employers reporting lower costs have implemented programs to target high-risk behavior and encourage employees to be smart consumers of health services. Still,

SalesAugust 2006 sales of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations and trading-day differences but not for price changes, were $335.6 billion, up 1.1 percent from the revised July level and were up 12.5 percent from the August 2005 level.  The July preliminary estimate was revised upward $0.2 billion