Recent article suggests we are in limbo, an uneasy phase of the ‘Great Recession.’
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Posts By Lindsay Konzak
Some online resources to help distributors and manufacturers keep on top of new green spending incentives in their states.
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Distributors speak at Morgan Keegan Industrial/Transportation Conference about the impact the economy has had on business.
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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.
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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.
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Because employees want to know it’s OK to stay home when they are sick.
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Short-term thinking is out; the big picture is in.
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Why alternative energy markets are of interest to distributors, and growing questions surrounding the Smart Grid.
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More distributors are diversifying into alternative and renewable energy markets. These markets vary in their maturity, and over the years, some have succeeded, while others have fallen off the grid. The dilemma over whether to invest in these markets when hype sometimes overshadows reality is a big one.
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More businesses are using the tool to communicate with customers, but before jumping in, find out if the medium is right for you.
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BLS reports that labor productivity and output fell in 2008 for the wholesale trade sector.
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Distressed-debt deal values are growing at a pace close to double that in 2008, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. Such deals occur when banks exchange debt for ownership in the companies, and according to the article, which cites Dealogic, are happening in all industries. One quote in the article: "The new cliché among restructuring professionals: Bankruptcy is the new M&A."
I recently spoke with a few investment bankers and private equity professionals focused on the distribution industry for the article M&A Market Shows Signs of Life in the latest issue of MDM. …
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The mergers and acquisitions market in distribution has changed dramatically in the past 24 months. While several deals were announced weekly in 2006 and 2007, the market flow today has slowed to a trickle. MDM spoke with distribution M&A experts about current conditions, and when they believe the market could turn around.
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The divestiture of Stock Building Supply by UK-based distributor Wolseley plc has sparked a string of expansions for small, local building materials distributors who are picking up the locations left by Stock. Or former owners of those locations are buying them back.
Theformer Stock branches are being reinvented as local, independent distributors.
And in many cases the former employees of those Stock locations are being rehired by the new owners. In this article by the Valley Courier, a family that owns another long-time nearby building materials distributor purchased the former Stock property. The distributor plans to re-open the location as Alamosa Building Supply …
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Here’s a behind-the-scenes look from the Chicago Tribune at efficiencies in the online DVD service Netflix’s operations – the author asks: How do consumers get their movies so quickly? While the article is short on a few details, a few pieces do stick out, namely the importance of finding the right employees and providing them the right benefits/pay to keep them around. And Netflix’s use of the right technology to automate what humans would take much longer to do.
But most importantly, the article highlights Netflix’s effective use of both talent and technology to get the job done, something that is not always easy, but continues to be more important as distributors deal with …
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Fuel, freight, and energy charges are some of the many items distributors are discovering some customers are willing to pay for. The key word is “some.”
Brent Grover, author of the new book, "Strategic Pricing for Distributors: Tools and Rules for Building Higher Margins," recently spoke with MDM about his new book for the latest issue, and he says that the key for any add-on to an invoice is to do it in customer segments that are least likely to resist those charges. "It’s not a matter of being tough and putting in an across-the-board change," he says. Distributors should not want to lose a customer due to an add-on charge.
"The ability to recover outbound freight charges is a big profit lever for distributors," …
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Brent Grover of Evergreen Consulting recently spoke with MDM about the importance of the concepts outlined in his latest book, "Strategic Pricing for Distributors: Tools and Rules for Building Higher Margins." Grover writes that strategic pricing can result in an increase of 200 or more basis points (2 percentage points) of gross margin percentage. "It’s far more dramatic than slashing the staff or reducing sales commissions," he tells MDM. This article looks at why now is a good time to implement a new pricing strategy and analyzes the importance of two key aspects: the sales team and technology.
Grover’s book, written as part fable featuring the fictitious Mahoning Distributors, and part practical guide, was released by the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors …
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Here at MDM we are in the midst of implementing some positive changes in how we do business. We are especially excited about one in particular, which we will be revealing to you in the next couple of months.
Our operations are different from a distributor’s – MDM is a part of Gale Media, which is a specialized publishing and research business – but through our work, we are reminded of the challenges that come with change. Undoubtedly, these challenges transcend industry lines.
While we hope the ROI will be positive, there is only so much a business can control. And that’s the fear factor in change.
But it’s also exciting and provides a great opportunity for the company. We recognize the only way to continue growing is to make this investment of time and energy. We feel like …
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IndustryWeek today offers an endorsement of a distributor’s value; the online magazine looks at what it means for a distributor to offer true value, and also offers "nontraditional performance measurements," as provided by SKF’s Bill Moore, to judge whether a distributor is effective as a strategic partner.
Moore tells IndustryWeek that engineering assistance supplied by a distributor is one example of a value-add – it can address recurring equipment failure problems, and improve overall performance.
One metric Moore offers in the article – how prepared a distributor is to react in emergencies – anything from an equipment failure to a …
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A new federal minimum wage floor of $7.25 an hour will be put in place July 24.
According to this article by CNN Money, the new standard will affect 29 states.
We are watching to see how it will affect the health of many industries who are already …
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