April 12, 2007 - Modern Distribution Management

April 12, 2007

Wolseley’s First Half at a Glance

UK-based Wolseley plc, distributor of plumbing/HVAC and building materials, recently reported its first-half results, which were brought down by Stock Building Supply in the U.S. and boosted by Ferguson. Wolseley saw 9 percent organic growth in North America, but profit fell 15%. European operations however saw double-digit organic growth, with profit up 33 percent.
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Here are a few graphics from a recent slideshow Wolseley recently posted online on its first-half results. The full presentation is here.

Download the pdf below to see the …

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Brady Corporation Acquires Sorbent Products

Brady Corporation, Milwaukee, WI, acquired Sorbent Products Co., Inc., Somerset, NJ.
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Sorbent Products is a manufacturer of synthetic sorbent materials used in a variety of industrial maintenance and environmental applications for spill clean-up, containment and control. Available in a variety of shapes, sizes and configurations, SPC sorbents and spill kits are used indoors and outdoors in virtually every type of industrial market and environmental sector.
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The company has manufacturing operations in the U.S., Belgium and Hong Kong. Sorbent had sales of $47 million in 2006.
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The acquisition of SPC allows Brady to broaden its product portfolio for the MRO market and enhance its position as a provider of products that protect premises.
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Fastenal Sales Grow 13% in 1Q

The Fastenal Company, Winona, MN, sales of $489,157 for the first quarter ended March 31, 2007, an increase of 13.3% over the same period last year. Profit increased 12.9%.
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During the first three months of 2007, Fastenal opened 73 new sites, as it did in the first quarter 2006. There were 2,000 sites as of Dec. 31, 2006.
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Current Initiatives
During the last several years, Fastenal has been pursuing initiatives to improve its operational performance. These include: a new freight model, tactical changes to working capital model, an expanded store model called CSP2, and a ‘master stocking hub’ distribution model.
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The freight model is an effort to haul a higher percentage of products with the Fastenal trucking network and to charge …

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