United Cooperative Alliance of America will focus on improving business practices across the verticals.
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Distributor keeps focus on cross-selling opportunities and acquisitions that will expand its reach in jan-san.
At Wolseley’s first-half 2010 results call with analysts and investors, new Chief Executive Ian Meakins spoke for the first time at length about his plans for the struggling global distributor of HVAC/plumbing and building material products.
In one of his first in-depth presentations as the new chief executive of Wolseley, Ian Meakins was blunt with his appraisal of the global distributor’s business, which has seen some big highs and dramatic lows in the past five years.
The MRO supplies distributor says ‘share-gain opportunities’ are more compelling now than in the recession.
And why distributors need to take care when looking to a best practices approach for improvement.
Industry veteran Mort Harris: ‘It’s the best of times for distributors because of integrated supply.’
Indicators the past month have largely been positive across most distribution sectors. And at industry meetings, executives are looking forward instead of down. That’s a great change from a very tough year. At the same time, I have not heard anyone say we are out of the woods.
From our surveys, we found that many distributors were forced to use layoffs to stay viable, and many more did everything in their power to avoid layoffs or use them as creatively as possible.
The authors of Value Creation Strategies for Wholesaler-Distributors implore distributors to define strategy in terms of closing gaps with the market rather than operational weaknesses. Tactically driven initiatives may meet intermediate goals, but they often produce unsatisfactory business outcomes.
This is an excerpt from Value Creation Strategies for Wholesaler-Distributors reprinted with permission from the NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence. Order the book at www.naw.org/valuecreationstrateg.
Strictly speaking, best practices are business operations that are statistically correlated with superior financial performance. The study of best practices is now widespread and has contributed to significant productivity improvements by wholesaler-distributors across all lines of trade. The most comprehensive review of distribution …
The authors of Value Creation Strategies for Wholesaler-Distributors implore distributors to define strategy in terms of closing gaps with the market rather than operational weaknesses. Tactically driven initiatives may meet intermediate goals, but they often produce unsatisfactory business outcomes.
This is an excerpt from Value Creation Strategies for Wholesaler-Distributors reprinted with permission from the NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence. Order the book at www.naw.org/valuecreationstrateg.
Strictly speaking, best practices are business operations that are statistically correlated with superior financial performance. The study of best practices is now widespread and has contributed to significant productivity improvements by wholesaler-distributors across all lines of trade. The most comprehensive review of distribution …
Under new CEO Ian Meakins, distributor divides business units into three categories.
Processes and incentives for sharing information can improve productivity, results.
Whatever opinions this customer expressed to your CEO are likely to drive big changes in your company even if they are not very important in the scheme of things.
Tenney Campbell, the well-known owner of a fluid power distributor, died in mid-January. He was ahead of his time in many ways. He will be remembered as a person who had an impact in this world beyond so many friends among fluid power distributors and manufacturers. He sold his California business to Berendsen Fluid Power in the mid-1990s. He continued to work for the company a few years in the capacity of corporate curmudgeon.
His role in those few years was to “create heat, smoke and discontent” among the company’s management, according to distribution consultant Mike Workman, who called Tenney a longtime friend and mentor.
Time article looks at distributor’s plans to mitigate impact of past mistakes.
While planning several years out may be a challenge, a road map is a helpful tool to grow your distribution business.
Balance is needed between the personal and impersonal sides of business.
Article contends companies need more flexibility than long-term planning allows, but there may be a flaw to this thinking.
Recent sales of family businesses to consolidators begs question: How many family-owned distributorships have succession plans?
The author of this article, the 20-year owner and CEO of a fluid sealing distributor, talks about the rewards and challenges in transforming the culture of his company to one where the employees took ownership and went beyond their normal daily activities to do what is best for the company.
I once had the pleasure of hearing Retired General Arnold Schwarzkopf speak on the topic of leadership. To paraphrase, leadership is getting others to do what they would not ordinarily do, voluntarily. In an ownership culture, employees voluntarily do activities they would not normally be expected to perform.
In visiting hundreds of companies, I have observed wildly different corporate cultures. It doesn’t take long in a visit to sense a strict authoritarian …
Airgas, Radnor, PA, outlined its growth strategies and successes in its annual analyst meeting in December. Here is an overview of the key areas covered by the gases and welding hardgoods distributor.
Product and Segment Focus
According to Airgas, about 30 percent of its total sales go to customer segments that are “growing faster than GDP.” Strategic products, a group of five product areas, account for 40 percent of sales. Those are: Bulk, Medical, Specialty Gas, CO2/Dry Ice, and Safety Products. These product areas have grown faster than Airgas’ other core business, COO Michael Molinini told analysts, and the areas cater to “favorable customer segments.”
One growth driver for these areas is cross-selling. For example, …
