December 2007 - Page 3 of 5 - Modern Distribution Management

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December 2007

Canadian Manufacturing Sales Edge Up 0.1% in October

Economic Trends, Free, News, Research & Analytics, Subscriber Only /

Source: Statistics Canada

Manufacturing sales edged up&nbsp ; 0.1% in October, basically holding steady after decreasing in five of the six previous months. Sales of manufactured goods increased&nbsp ; $38&nbsp ; million, reaching&nbsp ; $50.2&nbsp ; billion from&nbsp ; $50.1&nbsp ; billion in September.

Using constant dollars, which take price fluctuations into account, the volume of sales increased&nbsp ; 1.1% to&nbsp ; $50.1&nbsp ; billion in October. The Industrial Product Price Index, which is a major component in calculating the constant dollar value, dropped&nbsp ; 1.1% in October. Despite difficulties for manufacturers presented by the strengthening exchange rate, constant dollar sales were&nbsp ; 3.2% higher …

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Titan Machinery Announces IPO

Free, News, Subscriber Only, Top Distributor Sectors /

Titan Machinery Corp., Fargo, ND, has announced its initial public offering (IPO) of $58.7 million ($8.50 per share). Proceeds will be used to fund acquisitions, working capital and repayment of debt.
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Titan operates a 36-store network of full-service agricultural and construction equipment stores in North America. The companies the world’s largest distributor of Case IH Agriculture equipment and a major retail dealer of New Holland Agriculture, Case Construction and New Holland Construction equipment in the …

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WinWholesale Opens Plumbing Location in Florida

Companies, Free, HVACR, News, Plumbing Products & PVF Distribution, Subscriber Only, Top Distributor Sectors /

WinWholesale Inc., Dayton, OH, has opened Orlando Winnelson Co. in Orlando, FL, to serve contractors in a four-county area with plumbing equipment, supplies and accessories. &nbsp ;

The locally owned and operated company includes a warehouse, display area and sales counter serving contractors in new construction, remodeling and replacement work.

WinWholesale has opened 17 locations in its various Win company wholesaling industries and the Noland Company subsidiary in 2007.
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Six of those locations are plumbing operations, including another Florida location in Vero Beach. The rest are in HVAC, electrical, industrial pipes, valves and fittings, and waterworks and utility supplies. …

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3M Expects Earnings Growth in ’08

Companies, Free, News, Subscriber Only /

At an institutional investor and analyst meeting in New York, 3M, St. Paul, MN, said it expects double-digit earnings growth in 2008.
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Sales are also expected to grow at double-digit rates, with organic local currency growth of 5 to 8% and acquisitions adding more than 3%.
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Our growth agenda is taking hold, with more of our businesses growing at accelerated rates,” CEO George Buckley said. “We have done much to bolster our growth capability in the past two years, and it is paying off.”

Buckley reaffirmed the company’s commitment to strengthening its traditional core businesses and franchises through investment in R & D, “tuck-in” acquisitions and supply chain optimization. He also expects growth in emerging economies, which has exceeded 19% …

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Private Equity Firm Buys Weyerhaeuser’s Distribution Center

Building Materials/Construction, Finance, Free, Mergers & Acquisitions, News, Operations, Paper Products & Packaging Distribution, Subscriber Only, Top Distributor Sectors /

Roark Capital Group, an Atlanta-based private equity firm, has completed its acquisition of Weyerhaeuser’s Distribution Center, south of Boston in Assonet, MA. WDC is a wholesale distributor of building products, with a specialization in engineered wood products.
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The operations of WDC have been acquired by a subsidiary of Wood Structures, Inc., a company owned by affiliates of Roark Capital. Based in Biddeford, ME, Wood Structures is a manufacturer and designer of manufactured wood products, including roof trusses, floor trusses and wall panels, and distributor of engineered wood products, which are used in residential and commercial buildings.
&nbsp ;
WDC is very complimentary to Wood Structures,” said Lawrence J. DeAngelo, managing director at Roark. “This …

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Private Equity Firm Buys Weyerhaeuser’s Distribution Center Read More »

Hagemeyer Ordered to Pay US$73M in Damages

Companies, Free, Legal Issues in Wholesale Distribution, News, Operations, Subscriber Only /

The Netherlands-based electrical distributor Hagemeyer NV, which recently agreed to be bought by Paris-based Rexel, was ordered by a judge to pay & euro; 50 million (US$73 million) in bankruptcy-related damages.
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The case involves Ceteco, which went into bankruptcy in 1998 and started proceedings against Hagemeyer, former members of Hagemeyer’s board of management, supervisory board and the accountant of Ceteco. The company claimed mismanagement led to the bankruptcy. Hagemeyer owned 65% of Ceteco.
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Though some are speculating that the judgment may affect Rexel’s deal with Hagemeyer in the form of a reduced offer or a rescinding of the offer overall, a Hagemeyer spokeswoman told Reuters that the case was not news to Rexel. They know about this. This court case …

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IDC-USA Enters Fluid Power Market

Free, News, Power Transmission/Motion Control/Fluid Power, Subscriber Only, Top Distributor Sectors /

IDC-USA, Indianapolis, IN, has entered the fluid power market. IDC-USA is partnering with Fittings Unlimited and RYCO Hydraulics; that partnership is complemented by a hose and rubber offering from Jason Industrial.
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These new supply partner programs provide IDC Distributors with a complete line of fluid power and industrial hose products.
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With the partnership, IDC-USA is offering its member-owners access to more than 8 million different types and sizes of adapters through the Fittings Unlimited program, which provides hydraulic adapters, quick disconnect fittings, live swivels, and brass fittings & accessories.&nbsp ;
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RYCO Hydraulics is an independently owned, Australian-based company that entered the U.S. market five years ago. The company …

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October Machine Tool Consumption up 6.3% YTD

Economic Trends, Free, News, Research & Analytics, Subscriber Only, Top Distributor Sectors /

October U.S. manufacturing technology consumption was $393.40 million, according to the Association for Manufacturing Technology and the American Machine Tool Distributors’Association. This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTC program, was down 10.1% from September, but up 3.1% from the total of $381.62 million reported for October 2006. With a year-to-date total of $3,468.93 million, 2007 was up 6.3% compared with 2006.
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These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals of actual data reported by companies participating in the USMTC program.
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While below the previous month’s extraordinary surge, October manufacturing technology orders remained strong,” said John B. Byrd III, AMT president. &nbsp ; “The results virtually …

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October Machine Tool Consumption up 6.3% YTD Read More »

Jackson Safety Acquires Finnish Manufacturer

Finance, Free, Mergers & Acquisitions, News, Safety Products, Subscriber Only, Top Distributor Sectors /

Jackson Safety, St. Louis, MO, has acquired Safemaster OY, a designer and manufacturer of welding helmets in the Nordic Region.
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Located in Tampere, Finland, Safemaster supplies a range of welding products, including lightweight helmets for grinding and welding as well as helmet systems designed for Powered Air Purifying Respiratory (PAPR) products.
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Jackson Safety is a manufacturer of welding, PPE and traffic control …

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Cooper Industries Buys GS Metals, Clarity Lighting

Electrical, Free, News, Subscriber Only, Top Distributor Sectors /

Cooper Industries, Ltd. has acquired Illinois-based GS Metals, a manufacturer of customized metal safety grating systems, bolted framing, and ladder and wire basket cable tray, and UK-based Clarity Lighting, a designer and manufacturer of light-emitting diode architectural lighting and control solutions.
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Expected full-year sales for the two companies in 2007 are $55 million and the combined purchase price is $49 million.
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Cooper is committed to building upon our core businesses, enhancing them by adding more technology and end-user specified products into the portfolio so that we can better serve our customers,” said Cooper Industries CEO Kirk S. Hachigian. “The acquisition of GS Metals complements our existing Cooper B-Line product offerings and enables us …

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Cooper Industries Buys GS Metals, Clarity Lighting Read More »

NetSuite IPO Commences

Free, News, Subscriber Only, Technology /

The auction for NetSuite Inc.’s initial public offering of its common stock has started. The software provider, based in San Mateo, CA, expects the offering to price after the stock market closes on or about Dec. 19, 2007.
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NetSuite will offer 6,200,000 shares of its common stock in the offering.
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The preliminary prospectus is available at NetSuite’s auction Web site,

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NetSuite IPO Commences Read More »

84 Lumber to Shutter 12 Stores

Building Materials/Construction, Free, News, Subscriber Only, Top Distributor Sectors /

According to various news reports, 84 Lumber is closing 12 stores in nine states. A spokesman says that all but two of the closing are due to consolidation in markets in the U.S., according to one report.
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84 Lumber is leaving Redding, CA, and Manchester, TN, due to a steep drop in housing starts in those markets. The spokesman told a Pittsburgh, PA, paper that outside of these two markets, other closings would have been done regardless of the downturn in the housing market.
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84 Lumber announced last week it was cutting up to 45 positions at its corporate headquarters. 84 Lumber operates 415 stores and 20 component …

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Ross Valve Acquires Troy Die Cutting

Free, News, Subscriber Only, Top Distributor Sectors /

Ross Valve Manufacturing Co., Troy, NY, has acquired Troy Die Cutting Co., Troy, NY. Ross Valve hopes the deal will trim costs and spur new product development, according to the Albany, NY, Business Review.
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Ross Valve, which designs, manufactures and services automatic control valves, anticipates making more acquisitions. The company is a fifth-generation family-run business.
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Troy Die Cutting is a specialized supplier of turn arrows, lane markings and other decals for …

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Timken Joint Venture to Supply China’s Wind Energy Market

Free, News, Power Transmission/Motion Control/Fluid Power, Subscriber Only, Top Distributor Sectors /

The Timken Company, Canton, OH, is establishing a joint venture with Chinese heavy equipment manufacturer Xiangtan Electrica Manufacturing Co. Ltd. to manufacture ultra-large-bore bearings for main rotor shafts of multi-megawatt wind turbines.
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The turbines are for the Chinese wind energy market. China has a goal of generating 30 million kilowatts of power from wind energy systems by 2020.
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The joint venture will build a $38 million facility in Xiantan, in China’s Hunan province. Construction will begin in 2008.
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Timken has continued to invest heavily in China since entering this country in 1992, and the joint venture with XEMC is the latest example of our commitment to meet the needs of Chinese customers as they participate in one of the most …

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Report: Construction Worker Wins $3.4M in Nail Gun Misfire

Building Materials/Construction, Free, Legal Issues in Wholesale Distribution, News, Operations, Subscriber Only, Top Distributor Sectors /

A construction worker who was injured when a nail became embedded in his brain after he tried to fire the nail into metal has won $3.4 million in a lawsuit filed in Hartford, CT, the Associated Press reported. The man was partially paralyzed.
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The worker sued tool manufacturer Stanley Works and The Home Depot, where the tool was purchased.
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The jury concluded the worker was 55% liable for the injuries because he fired into metal instead of wood. The nail bounced back at him.
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Stanley Works assistant general counsel Ted Morris told the AP that the nail gun met industry standards and that tool users are warned to follow …

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Report: Construction Worker Wins $3.4M in Nail Gun Misfire Read More »

The Decline of the U.S. Dollar

Economic Trends, Management, Research & Analytics, Strategy, Subscriber Only /

U.S. companies doing business overseas. But not all manufacturers and distributors are benefiting. For those distributors who import from the euro-zone, for example, costs have suddenly spiked, forcing them to reexamine the way they define value in this marketplace. This article examines the impact of the dollar decline on three groups:

  • U.S. importers,
  • manufacturers who export to the European Union, and
  • Canadian distributors who buy from U.S.-based manufacturers.

Recently, Equipment Controls Co., Norcross, GA, has started to factor the value of the U.S. dollar into its business planning. The gas measurement and control equipment …

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Survey: Paperless Invoices Gain Ground

Subscriber Only, Technology /

An electrical distributor in the Northeast delivers more than one-third of its invoices by email. More than 95 percent of its contractors who receive their invoices by email said in a survey they are satisfied or very satisfied with the delivery method.

About 70 percent said they like email delivery to save time” and because they “get their bills faster.” Most would recommend email delivery to other contractors. This electrical distributor is not alone in its invoicing practices.

A recent report by Allen Ray Associates, Channel Marketing Group and BillTrust says that as companies become more comfortable with electronic processes, customers are gravitating toward receiving invoices electronically via email or by downloading them off a distributor’s Web site. …

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Survey: Paperless Invoices Gain Ground Read More »

First Steps in Strategic Pricing

Research & Analytics, Sales & Marketing, Subscriber Only, Technology /

MDM Audio Conferences recently featured consultant Mike Marks and attorney Gene Zelek in Strategic Pricing: Create a Value-Based Approach.” The two told participants they must go beyond traditional pricing practices, segment customers and not be afraid to differentiate based on price. This article is based on that audio conference.


If you are implementing a pricing structure from scratch, and want to unfreeze an organization from its old habits, plan for at least 12 months of work to “make it stick.” Keep in mind: “It’s more than just coming up with a new price sheet and imposing it,” says Mike Marks, a principal in Indian River Consulting Group.

Here are a few thoughts to get you started.
&nbsp
Legal Hang-ups
One of the first …

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Take Care When Cutting Staff

Human Resources in Wholesale Distribution, Management, Operations, Strategy, Subscriber Only /

Finding that a supervisor’s comments about an employee’s age were admissible circumstantial evidence, and that his employer’s reduction in force plan was not a plan” at all, an appeals court has reinstated the claim of a 57-year-old employee, who had been let go in a Reduction in Force (RIF) that affected over 90 employees.&nbsp ;
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Richard Blair had worked as a sales engineer since 1986 for Henry Filters Inc., a manufacturer of industrial filtration systems. In 2001 the new owner of Henry Filters, Durr Ecoclean, decided for business reasons to consolidate the sales force of Henry Filters with two other companies it owned, resulting in a cut back among the sales staff. Blair was one of the employees let go, and believed it was because of his age.

To …

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MDM December 10, 2007

Subscriber Only /

This is the pdf of this issue of Modern Distribution Management. Apply the full $24.95 pay-per-view cost toward an annual subscription (within 30 days of purchase), which includes two issues a month plus access to more than six years of online archives and market data. Call 1-888-742-5060 or email info@mdm.com to …

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MDM December 10, 2007 Read More »

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