Conference Board says it would be difficult for economy to grow faster given headwinds.
GDP Results Indicate Growth is Slow, ‘But Not Slowing’ Read More »
Barnes Group sales increased 2 percent in the quarter.
Barnes Distribution Sales Down 5% in 3Q Read More »
Acquisition expands ST Solutions’ footprint in North and South Carolina.
ST Solutions Acquires JSM Industrial Supply Read More »
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Download This Issue in PDF: Oct. 25, 2012 Read More »
Sales decreased 4.5 percent from the prior-year period, to $72 million.
Lawson Losses Lessen in Third Quarter Read More »
Sales and inventories data for wholesaler-distributors in August 2012.
Monthly Wholesale Trade Data: August 2012 Read More »
Same-store sales for the quarter were up 1 percent.
Watsco Sales Rise 12% in 3Q Read More »
Electronics Marketing and Technology Solutions segments’ sales both declined.
Avnet Fiscal First Quarter Sales Down 8.7% Read More »
Relative strength in aerospace, energy, farm & heavy equipment and auto continue to offset weakness in non-residential construction.
Reliance Steel & Aluminum 3Q Sales Down 4% Read More »
President and COO Erik Gershwind will take on the CEO role, effective Jan. 1, 2013.
MSC Announces Date for CEO Transition Read More »
Profit for the pharmaceutical distributor and healthcare services provider jumped 35 percent in the quarter.
McKesson Sales Dip 1% in Second Quarter Read More »
Robert W. Baird & Co., in partnership with Modern Distribution Management, conducted a survey of more than 500 distributors and manufacturers to gauge business trends and the outlook for the distribution industry in diverse sectors. Here is a summary of third-quarter results and distributor and manufacturer expectations for the fourth quarter and full year of 2013.
The results of the third-quarter 2012 MDM/Baird Distribution Survey represent lowered expectations compared with past results. According to the survey, third-quarter revenues were up 4.1 percent overall for respondents, lower than the expected 5.5 percent growth.
Respondents expect revenues to grow 2.4 percent in the fourth quarter 2012 and 3.6 percent in 2013. The annual forecast is …
Third Quarter MDM-Baird Distribution Survey: Lowered Expectations Read More »
In November, Roy Vallee, executive chairman of electronics distributor Avnet (NYSE: AVT), will retire after 35 years with the company. He served as COO and then president from 1992 until July 2011. Vallee saw Avnet grow from a $2 billion company to a $26 billion company. He recently spoke with Associate Editor Jenel Stelton-Holtmeier about how the industry has changed over the past 35 years, where he thinks it’s heading and provides advice for the next generation entering the industry. Part 1 of this interview appeared in the Oct. 10, 2012, issue of MDM.
MDM: In our podcast (available at mdm.com/7Minutes) you identified automation as the biggest industry change you’ve seen in your career. Could you talk more about the other changes you’ve seen?
Roy Vallee: How we operate is so much different today. We used to have inventory in every branch. It was difficult to find and transfer inventory between branches, and in order to fill a single customer order, we would often have to ship product from multiple branches to get the total quantity that we were looking for. Now with …
MDM Interview, Part 2: Vallee Reflects on Changes in the Industry Read More »
News briefs from Oct. 11-25, 2012.
MDM News Digest 4220 Read More »
A joint MDM-Real Results Marketing survey revealed that most distributors don’t view in-store marketing and merchandising as a core competency. The authors of this article argue that it should be, and that smaller and mid-size distributors have significant opportunity to improve in-store revenue through more effective and strategic use of displays.
Although e-commerce initiatives are front and center for many distributors today, in-store revenue remains essential. Yet most distributors with walk-in trade place limited emphasis on in-store marketing and merchandising. Analysis from a recent MDM survey showed that many of the merchandising decisions are decentralized, or left up to the location manager, including which products to feature, how often to rotate featured products and planograms, or shelf layouts.
Furthermore, while distributors value the expertise and involvement from …
The State of Distributor Merchandising Read More »
Forty-four percent of respondents to the quarterly MDM-Baird survey featured in this issue said they had deferred business decisions pending the results of the election, including hiring and investment spending, as well as employee compensation.
Respondents explained:
“Many customers are waiting to see what happens in November.”
“A lot of jobs are pending due to election paralysis.”
While it’s true that the election …
Commentary: It’s Time to Move Past ‘Election Paralysis’ Read More »
Too many mandates from management can harm the relationship if it hinders response.
Tip: Let Salespeople Make Decisions to Improve Customer Service Read More »
Profit fell 27 percent for the manufacturer.
Timken Sales Decline 14% in 3Q Read More »
The index’s three-month moving average, CFNAI-MA3, increased in September, but remained below zero.
Chicago Fed National Activity Index Increases in September Read More »
Distribution & Transmission segment sales increase driven by mergers in the second and third quarters of 2012, including the acquisition of Wilson International.
National Oilwell Varco Sales Up 42% in 3Q Read More »
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