The building materials and plumbing supplies distributor reduced headcount by 9,848 globally during the year.
Wolseley Records £1.17B Loss for FY 2009 Read More »
Some online resources to help distributors and manufacturers keep on top of new green spending incentives in their states.
Follow the Green Money Trail Read More »
Download the pdf below for the July 2009 data from Eurostat on Industrial Producer Prices. Click Here
Europe Industrial Producer Prices: July 2009 Read More »
Three-month moving average indicates growth below historical trend and low inflationary pressure.
Chicago Fed National Activity Index Falls Slightly in August Read More »
More good financial news keeps strengthening the outlook for distributors. A big surprise to many in August was the flipping of the purchasing manager index to the positive side of 50 (52.9 from 48.9 in July). That reinforces much of what we at MDM have been hearing about production and corresponding orders in August being more positive than expected. That said, this is not shaping up to be your grandfather’s recovery from previous sharp economic cycles.
Commentary: Grinding Out Growth in 2010 Read More »
This article is part of an occasional MDM series on alternative energy markets.
Distributors and manufacturers responding to a recent MDM survey seemed practical in their approach to opportunities in alternative energy markets.
Some said they were not interested in going after these markets, not knowing where they were headed. But others were more optimistic, saying the niche is a growing one, will likely grow for some time, and they want a piece of the pie. As one manufacturer said: “The growth rate is hard to ignore.”
The growth rate may be hard to ignore, but with a rapid growth rate comes growing pains. And as detailed in the Sept. 10 issue of MDM, no one knows whether that growth rate will be sustainable leaving many to question how much and when they should invest in the space.
Alternative Energy Draws Distributors Read More »
This article looks at the roles of each part of the organization in strategic pricing. Using a sports analogy, the author refers to the Sales Function as the offense, the Operations Function as the defense, and the Purchasing Function as special teams. IT, Finance, Credit and HR play support roles, enabling the team to be in a position to win. And management is the coaching staff. Running a complex “play” like strategic pricing requires all functions to work in concert.
Much has already been written about the “science” of strategic pricing. I have written some of it, including Strategic Pricing for Distributors, published by the NAW Institute earlier this year. I intended the book as a do-it-yourself explanation of strategic pricing.
The magicians Penn & Teller famously perform a magic act that reveals the secrets of magic tricks. But even if you know the secrets, learning how to execute those illusions requires skill and experience. And even if you understand the relatively simple concepts behind strategic pricing, successful implementation is challenging work.
The Art of Executing Strategic Pricing Read More »
Sales up 0.5% from June, but down 19.8% from July 2008.
Monthly Wholesale Trade: Sales and Inventories for July 2009 Read More »
Anniversary of economy’s collapse has year-over-year comparables leveling out
Economic Update: Year-Ago Comparisons Start to Look Better Read More »
Distributors speak at Morgan Keegan Industrial/Transportation Conference about the impact the economy has had on business.
Grainger, Fastenal & DXP on Strategy and the Economy Read More »
The June Inflation Index, which measures a cross-section of industrial supplies, was up 0.06% from the previous month, and up 4.51% from June 2008.
MDM Industrial Inflation Index: June 2009 Read More »
News briefs from Sept. 11 – 25, 2009
MDM News Digest 3918 Read More »
Eaton CEO discusses economy at J.P. Morgan Diversified Industries Conference
Eaton: ‘Cash for Clunkers’ Impact Felt Beyond the Automotive Industry Read More »
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 seven years of online archives and market data. Call 1-888-742-5060 or email info@mdm.com to subscribe.
MDM September 25, 2009 Read More »
Electrical and communications product distributor to open new distribution center, administrative offices.
Graybar Expands in NJ, NY Read More »
Trend of “reverse globalization” expected to continue for several years.
Survey Predicts Shortening of Supply Chain Read More »
Moving an industry toward such a big change will be a challenge for company leaders: Here are some tips learned at the IDEA e-Biz Forum this week.
Leading Change to Smooth Way for Data Standardization Read More »
Industry execs discuss the outlook for M&A.
M&A Discussions Starting to Reappear Read More »
Sales showed a 5% increase over 2Q for the manufacturer and marketer of adhesives, sealants, paints and other specialty chemical products.
H.B. Fuller 3Q Sales Down 12.9% Read More »
Residential construction expected to expand beginning in the second half of 2009.
Forecast: Construction Spending Will Continue to Fall in 2010 Read More »
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