March 2009

Graybar Sales Grow 2.7% in 2008

Companies, Electrical, Free, News, Subscriber Only, Top Distributor Sectors / MDM Staff

Graybar, St. Louis, MO, distributor of electrical and communications products and related supply chain management and logistics services, reported sales were $5.4 billion in 2008, an increase of 2.7% from 2007. The company also posted profit of $87.4 million, up 4.8%.

CEO Robert Reynolds said: "Our employee ownership model drives us to consistently focus on serving our customers and manufacturing partners. The results of our efforts are reflected in Graybar’s healthy financial statements, including our low debt position. We are well positioned for these uncertain times and believe we are equally well prepared for when the economy turns the corner.” …

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Embarq Sells Logistics Subsidiary to KGP Telecommunications

Electrical, Finance, Free, Mergers & Acquisitions, News, Subscriber Only, Top Distributor Sectors / MDM Staff

Embarq Corp., Cleveland, OH, has sold its EMBARQ Logistics subsidiary to KGP Telecommunications Inc., according to a release from Vetus Partners.

The logistics subsidiary comprised $0.4 billion, or 7%, of overall revenue for Embarq.

EMBARQ Logistics is a wholesale distributor of equipment, materials and supplies to the telecommunications industry. It serves more than 2,000 customer accounts with more than 140,000 items from seven distribution centers throughout the U.S.

Though it was a "critical component" of EMBARQ’s supply chain, the logistics subsidiary was non-core.

Vetus Partners served as financial adviser to Embarq for the transaction.

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Canadian Price Indexes Halt Rapid Declines in January

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

Canadian price indexes for manufactured goods declined slightly in January, while the index for raw materials rose 1.4%. The strong downward movement registered by these two indexes during the previous two months halted in January, with petroleum prices strengthening on world markets.

The Industrial Product Price Index (IPPI) decreased 0.1% in January, stabilizing after declines of 2.8% in November and 2.1% in December. Prices for petroleum and coal products increased 1.6%, after registering five substantial monthly declines in a row.

Excluding petroleum and coal products, the IPPI fell 0.2%, a third monthly decrease following declines of 0.6% in November and 0.4% in December. Of the 20 major groups, 12 posted a price decrease, …

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Lawson 4Q Sales Down 13.6%

Companies, Facilities Maintenance (MRO), Free, News, Subscriber Only, Top Distributor Sectors / MDM Staff

Lawson Products, Inc., Des Plaines, IL, reported sales of $106.8 million for the fourth quarter 2008, down 13.6% from the prior year. A loss of $5.4 million was recorded, compared with profit of $4 million for the fourth quarter 2007.

For the full year, sales decreased 5.3% to $485.2 million in 2008 compared to $512.5 million in 2007 primarily as a result of the global economy’s significant pullback in the fourth quarter of 2008. The loss for the year was $27.6 million; for 2007, profit of $10.6 million was reported.

Costs related to the settlement of the investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, severance costs, unclaimed property expenses and the goodwill impairment charge totaled $43.2 million in 2008 …

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Inventory Reductions On Tap

Features, Strategy, Subscriber Only / Lindsay Young

Effective inventory management practices are gaining importance as distributors reduce inventory levels in response to demand drops and a renewed focus on cash flow. This article examines best practices for approaching the task.

In mid-November, sales for many distributors – with few exceptions – plummeted. Distributors were caught with excess inventory in an environment of much lower demand.

Many distributors are now working down inventory to maximize cash flow. And they have returned to a focus on the basics: accurate forecasting, reliable safety stock parameters, improving communication with vendors and getting a good handle on the product that is already in their warehouses so they can avoid overstocking.

A top concern for …

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MDM Interview, Part 2: Graybar – The People Factor

Companies, Electrical, Features, Human Resources in Wholesale Distribution, Operations, Subscriber Only, Top Distributor Sectors / MDM Staff

MDM Editor Lindsay Young sat down with Graybar Senior Vice President and CFO Beatty D’Alessandro at the January meeting of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors. The second part of this interview focuses on how Graybar is addressing the recruitment, retention and training of its employees. Part 1, published Feb. 25, 2009, can be found online at www.mdm.com.

MDM: What does Graybar do to encourage its employees to continue their education and training?

Beatty D’Alessandro: We offer tuition reimbursement plans for employees in undergraduate and select graduate programs. We also provide all employees with extensive training that helps them work more effectively.

Our training programs …

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BlueLinx Launches Ecoproduct Line

Building Materials/Construction, Free, News, Research & Analytics, Subscriber Only, Top Distributor Sectors / MDM Staff

BlueLinx Corp., Atlanta-based distributor of building products, has launched a portfolio of what it calls ecoproducts called PureBlue.

The distributor is launching the line through an online "virtual show" March 30. The distributor is presenting educational conferences on green from industry experts, product knowledge training, brand-name exhibitor booths and a resource center with workshop presentations to download.

The conference will run for 90 days with months on various parts of the supply chain. Dealer month starts the show off and ends April 30. Builder month runs from May 11 until June 7. Architect month runs June 13-24.

In addition to these educational programs, BlueLinx …

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Park-Ohio Sales Unchanged in 2008

Free, News, Subscriber Only, Top Distributor Sectors / MDM Staff

Park-Ohio Holdings Corp., Cleveland, OH, reported sales for 2008 were $1.06 billion, unchanged from 2007. The company reported a net loss of $119.8 million for the year ended Dec. 31, 2008.

Sales in the fourth quarter 2008 were unchanged at $249.6 million. The net loss was $119.9 …

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An Unintended Consequence of Lean

Economic Trends, Free, Management, Research & Analytics, Strategy, Subscriber Only / Jenel Stelton-Holtmeier

For years, lean has been a hot topic among manufacturers as a way to streamline businesses, operate more efficiently and cut costs.

But now that the recession is in full swing and uncertainty about the end looms, companies who have gone lean are facing an unintended consequence of that course of action: With a workforce that has already been trimmed and specially trained, where can you cut to save money?

Broad-based layoffs aren’t an option in those situations, according to a recent article at WSJ.com (read the full article here). Companies like Parker Hannifin have been trying to make cuts in other ways – such as reducing hours or cutting pay – but that may …

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Wolseley to Exit Stock Building Supply

Building Materials/Construction, Companies, Strategy, Subscriber Only, Top Distributor Sectors / Jenel Stelton-Holtmeier

Wolseley examines options for its beleaguered U.S. building materials business unit, which despite dramatic cost reductions continues to be a significant drag on the group’s overall performance.

UK-based distributor Wolseley plc is once again looking to exit its U.S.-based Stock Building Supply operations, this time by Aug. 1, 2009. Even after extensive cost-cutting measures last fall that included reducing headcount by an additional 3,000 and closing 86 branches, the business lost $246 million last year.

Stock Building Supply is heavily reliant on housing starts in the U.S., which declined from around 750,000 in Oct. 2008 to about 460,000 in January.

Enough is enough, John Whybrow, chairman of the board, says in a Webcast …

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Steep Decline in Canada Employment

Economic Trends, Human Resources in Wholesale Distribution, Operations, Research & Analytics, Subscriber Only / MDM Staff

Canada lost nearly 322,000 manufacturing jobs from 2004 to 2008, with more than one in seven manufacturing jobs disappearing over the period. More than 1.5 million jobs were created in the rest of the economy during this period, according to a recent report from Statistics Canada.

The losses resulted in the erosion of the share of manufacturing jobs in the economy. In 2004, manufacturing represented 14.4 percent of total employment; in 2008, the proportion was 11.5 percent.

Almost all manufacturing industries have seen a sharp decline since 2004. Of the 23 studied, only six showed job growth from 2004 to 2008, including transportation equipment – excluding automobiles and automobile parts (9.2 percent), oil and coal …

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MDM March 10, 2009

Subscriber Only / MDM Staff

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 [email protected] to …

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MDM Industrial Inflation Index: January 2009

Economic Trends, Research & Analytics, Subscriber Only / MDM Staff

Modern Distribution Management’s January Inflation Index, which measures a cross-section of industrial supplies, was up 0.15% from the previous month, and up 7.49% from January 2008.

Please click below to view a print-ready pdf of the MDM Inflation Index for January 2009, listing the 10 individual product categories that make up the …

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Grainger Sees 10% Sales Drop in February

Companies, Facilities Maintenance (MRO), Free, News, Subscriber Only, Top Distributor Sectors / MDM Staff

Chicago, IL-based Grainger, facilities maintenance distributor, reported daily sales in February 2009 fell 10% versus February 2008, the result of weak demand across all customer end-markets and geographies.

Foreign exchange negatively affected sales by 2 percentage points.

U.S. branched-based operations were down 9%; Acklands-Grainger in Canada was down 19% (but up 1% in local currency); and Lab Safety Supply was down 4%.

Grainger had 2008 sales of $6.9 …

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MDM News Digest 3905

Subscriber Only / MDM Staff

Industrial distributor Lewis-Goetz and Company, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA, has acquired Transport Parts Inc., a Minneapolis-based distributor of industrial hose and accessories serving the transportation and industrial markets of Minnesota. The acquisition extends Lewis-Goetz’s footprint into the northern Midwest. More

Huttig Building Products, Inc., reported sales of $671 million for 2008, down 23.3% from 2007. The distributor of building materials recorded a year-end loss of $35.4 million, compared to a loss in 2007 of $8.2 million. For the fourth quarter 2008, sales were $126 million, down 30% from fourth quarter 2007. A loss of $15.4 million was recorded for the …

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Manufacturing, Construction Employment Continues to Fall in February

Building Materials/Construction, Economic Trends, Human Resources in Wholesale Distribution, Operations, Research & Analytics, Subscriber Only, Top Distributor Sectors / MDM Staff

Widespread job losses continued in the manufacturing sector in February, with a decline of 168,000 jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Much of that decline was in durable goods, which was down 132,000. Specifically, fabricated metal products had a 28,000 decrease, and machinery fell by 25,000.

Employment in nondurable goods manufacturing fell by 36,000 in the month.

Construction lost 104,000 jobs in February; employment in that industry has fallen by 1.1 million since peaking in January 2007.

Two-fifths of that decline occurred in the past four months. Employment fell in both the residential and nonresidential sectors in February.

Employment declined in most major industry sectors in February, with the …

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Distribution Models in Flux

Free, Management, Perspective, Research & Analytics, Strategy, Subscriber Only / Tom Gale

Arguably, there has never been so much stress put on so many wholesale distribution businesses. By necessity many distributors are revising the models that have served well as successful growth engines – for decades in many cases. Revision is an understatement for some, as they see revenues drop double digits and radical changes in customer buying behavior.

Some distributors are making changes out of necessity. Others have built a business based on long-term strategic plans, and they have the most options for coming out of this current downturn stronger. These options have the potential to yield significant market share and competitive advantage over the next 12-24 months.

We are in a major transitional period in this industry as companies adapt to these …

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January Wholesale Revenues Fall 2.9%

Economic Trends, Finance, Free, News, Research & Analytics, Subscriber Only / MDM Staff

January 2009 sales of wholesalers were down 2.9% from December to $326.1 billion, and down 15.4% from January 2008. January sales of durable goods were down 6.5% from last month and down 17.3% from a year ago.

Compared to last month, sales of metals and minerals, except petroleum, were down 15.3% and sales of machinery, equipment, and supplies were down 10.8%. Sales of nondurable goods were up 0.3% from last month, but were down 13.7 percent from last year. Sales of chemicals and allied products were down 4.9% from last month, while sales of drugs and druggists’ sundries were up 2.1%.

Inventories fell 0.7% from December but were up 1% from a year ago. End-of-month inventories of durable goods were down 1.3% but were up 4% from last January. …

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DXP 4Q Same-Store Sales Climb 3.8%

Companies, Facilities Maintenance (MRO), Free, News, Power Transmission/Motion Control/Fluid Power, Subscriber Only, Top Distributor Sectors / MDM Staff

DXP Enterprises, Inc., Houston, TX, reported sales for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2008, were $193.6 million, up 14.7% over fourth quarter 2007. Profit increased 22.8% to $7 million.

Excluding fourth quarter 2008 sales of $18.4 million from businesses acquired in 2007 and 2008, sales for the 2008 fourth quarter increased 3.8% from the 2007 fourth quarter.

For the full year 2008, sales improved 65.8% to $736.9 million. Profit was $25.9 million, an increase of 49.7% over 2007.

Our goal today is to create opportunities caused by a contracting economy by gaining market share at the expense of our competitors. It is easier to perform when times are good but I look forward to our ability to succeed in these challenging times, CEO David …

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Suppliers to Automakers May Need Help, Too

Economic Trends, Free, Research & Analytics, Strategy, Subscriber Only, Top Distributor Sectors / Jenel Stelton-Holtmeier

We’ve been hearing the news for month: the U.S. Big Three automakers are in trouble. Suppliers to the automakers are also struggling.

According to a recent article at Forbes.com, even if the government bailouts succeed in heading off failure for Chrysler, GM and even Ford (though it says it doesn’t need any bailout money yet), the industry may fail "from the bottom up" if suppliers don’t receive help as well.

The author writes:
"With credit markets all but frozen, bankrupt suppliers wouldn’t be likely to obtain debtor-in-possession financing to stay in business during bankruptcy reorganization. Instead, many would be forced to liquidate. That would put the carmakers in a jam, because they can’t easily get the missing parts from …

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Suppliers to Automakers May Need Help, Too Read More »

March 2009

Graybar Sales Grow 2.7% in 2008

Embarq Sells Logistics Subsidiary to KGP Telecommunications

Canadian Price Indexes Halt Rapid Declines in January

Lawson 4Q Sales Down 13.6%

Inventory Reductions On Tap

MDM Interview, Part 2: Graybar – The People Factor

BlueLinx Launches Ecoproduct Line

Park-Ohio Sales Unchanged in 2008

An Unintended Consequence of Lean

Wolseley to Exit Stock Building Supply

Steep Decline in Canada Employment

MDM March 10, 2009

MDM Industrial Inflation Index: January 2009

Grainger Sees 10% Sales Drop in February

MDM News Digest 3905

Manufacturing, Construction Employment Continues to Fall in February

Distribution Models in Flux

January Wholesale Revenues Fall 2.9%

DXP 4Q Same-Store Sales Climb 3.8%

Suppliers to Automakers May Need Help, Too

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