For the 12 months ended September 2012, prices for finished goods were up 2.1 percent.
Wholesale Prices Rise 1.1% in September Read More »
Distributor has 176 locations globally.
BDI Opens New Location in Indianapolis Read More »
Fourth quarter sales declined 1.2 percent from fiscal 2011.
Zep Fiscal 2012 Sales Up 1.1% YOY Read More »
Composite Index of 56 marks 12th quarter above 50 but 9th consecutive decline.
MAPI Report: Manufacturing Growth Slowing Read More »
The installation of 3,977 new vending machines contributed to growth.
Fastenal Fiscal Third Quarter Sales Up 10% Read More »
Sales and inventories data for wholesaler-distributors in August 2012.
August Wholesale Revenues Up 0.9% from July Read More »
Don’t try to please everyone. Instead, segment, target and position your company for better margins.
Don’t Be Everyone’s Third Favorite Supplier Read More »
For smaller distributors, assigning someone with technology and business understanding will help make the project a success.
Tip: Tap One Person to Champion New Technology Implementations 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 president and COO from 1992 until 1998, when he was promoted to CEO – a position he held until July 2011. During his tenure, Vallee saw Avnet grow from a $2 billion company to a $26 billion company. Vallee recently spoke with Associate Editor Jenel Stelton-Holtmeier about his career at Avnet and the role acquisitions played in the success of the distributor.
MDM: Avnet's growth is in large part attributed to its acquisition strategy. But integration can sometimes be a challenge – finding a balance between maintaining the culture and what attracted Avnet to the company while at the same time making the acquired company a part of Avnet. How did Avnet achieve success with this? And how can other companies make it a smoother process?
Roy Vallee: We did our first large-scale integration back in 1993. And we had to figure out then the best way to deal with it. But one of the first things we decided was that we'd document the process that we used so that with our next acquisition, we could …
Lessons from Avnet’s Rapid Growth Read More »
The wholesale distribution industry is about to experience a smack-down wrestling match with big data, and in many cases, big data is going to win. Why? Through no particular fault of any management role or responsibility within an organization, many companies don’t have a data management policy. That means there may be multiple records of customer bill-to and ship-to with dirty data – which may be as simple …
Commentary: The Power of Segmentation Read More »
Modern Distribution Management’s Industrial Inflation Index measures a cross-section of industrial supplies.
MDM Industrial Inflation Index: August 2012 Read More »
MDM Editor Lindsay Konzak recently attended the Advanced Profitability Improvement Conference in Arizona, featuring some of the top speakers on wholesale distribution strategy and management, including Brent Grover, Bruce Merrifield, Tony Pericle, Jon Schreibfeder and more. The focus of the conference was how distributors can make smarter and more informed decisions about where to target their resources to boost margins going into 2013. Analytics should be the foundation of any move on this front, the speakers said. This article presents a summary of main ideas presented by some of the speakers at the conference.
Expenses exceed gross profit on too many sales, according to Randy MacLean of Waypoint Analytics. In fact, he says, “there is no correlation between gross margins and profit.” He was speaking at the semiannual Advanced Profitability Improvement Conference in September in Scottsdale, AZ. So what happens? Where do the profits go?
MacLean says there are five ways profits disappear before reaching the bottom line.
The cost to serve a …
Make Your Data Work to Grow Profitability Read More »
Apex Tool Group is a joint venture between Danaher and Cooper Industries.
Bain Capital Agrees to Buy Apex Tool Group for $1.6B Read More »
News briefs from Sept. 26-Oct. 10, 2012.
MDM News Digest 4219 Read More »
This is the PDF of this issue of Modern Distribution Management.
Table of Contents:
Are you a subscriber? Simply log-in to view this issue.`
Download This Issue in PDF: Oct. 10, 2012 Read More »
The two distributors are now The United Distribution Group, focused on mining and energy markets.
United Central Industrial Supply Acquires GHX Industrial 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 president and COO from 1992 until 1998, when he was promoted to CEO – a position he held until July 2011. During his tenure, Vallee saw Avnet grow from a $2 billion company to a $26 billion company. Vallee recently spoke with Associate Editor Jenel Stelton-Holtmeier about his career at Avnet and the role acquisitions played in the success of the distributor.
MDM: Avnet's growth is in large part attributed to its acquisition strategy. But integration can sometimes be a challenge – finding a balance between maintaining the culture and what attracted Avnet to the company while at the same time making the acquired company a part of Avnet. How did Avnet achieve success with this? And how can other companies make it a smoother process?
Roy Vallee: We did our first large-scale integration back in 1993. And we had to figure out then the best way to deal with it. But one of the first things we decided was that we'd document the process that we used so that with our next acquisition, we could …
MDM Interview, Part 1: Lessons from Avnet’s Rapid Growth Read More »
This article looks at what concerns distributors most about the upcoming election, as noted in a recent MDM survey. In addition to the survey, MDM spoke with distributor associations that are playing an active role in educating and speaking for their members on critical topics in Washington DC.
While the election does not directly determine laws and regulations, the winners of the races – from the President down to local contests – will play a role in the country’s direction for the next several years.
It’s important for distributors to make sure their voices are being heard.
And it’s important for “everyone to …
Top Election Concerns for Distributors Read More »
The step furthers Kaman Aerospace Groups vision of providing customers with a complete aerosystem solution.
Kaman and Kineco Agree to Form Joint Venture in India Read More »
Stanley Black & Decker will use cash proceeds of the sale for share repurchases, the Infastech acquisition and deleveraging.
Stanley Black & Decker Agrees to Sell Hardware & Home Improvement Group for $1.4 Billion Read More »
By providing your email, you agree to receive announcements from us and our partners for our newsletter, events, surveys, and partner resources per MDM Terms & Conditions. You can withdraw consent at any time.
Wholesale distribution news and trends delivered right to your inbox.
Sign-up for our free newsletter and get:
