News
Breaking news in Wholesale Distribution
The Home Depot, Atlanta, GA, has launched its Eco Options program in the U.S. Eco Options is a classification that allows customers to easily identify products that have less of an impact on the environment.
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The Home Depot has identified more than 2,500 Eco Options products, including all-natural insect repellents, cellulose insulation, front-load washing machines, organic plant food and vegetables in biodegradable pots. The array of Eco Options also includes compact fluorescent light bulbs, programmable thermostats and certified wood.
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Products with the Eco Options label are either eco friendly by definition, such as solar lights that use natural power, or have met certain environmental performance criteria verified by Scientific Certification Systems, an …
Air Liquide, Paris, France, has acquired the engineering firm Lurgi, which is owned by Global Engineering Alliance, based on an equity value of 550 million euros, equivalent to an enterprise value of 200 million euros.
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The acquisition accelerates the growth of the Large Industries World Business Line, strengthening Air Liquide’s position in hydrogen markets and providing access to Coal to Lquid and Coal to Chemicals sectors.
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With nearly 1,300 employees and total sales of around 850 million euros in 2006, Lurgi, a German-based company, produces hydrogen and synthesis gas to biofuel production processes. Lurgi’s main engineering centers are situated in Germany, Poland, United States, India and South Africa.
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Air Liquide has five Engineering …
Becker Electric Supply, Dayton, OH, has purchased Eastgate Electric Supply Inc., Richmond, IN. The acquisition adds three new offices and 25 employees, the Dayton Business Journal reported.
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Becker now has 12 branches in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and …
Actuant Corporation, Milwaukee, WI, has acquired T.T. Fijnmechanica B.V. for $20 million.
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Headquartered in Roermond, The Netherlands, TTF supplies products and systems for use in the bridge building, infrastructure and heavy lifting markets. Products include wedges, anchor heads, multi-strand jacks, and heavy lifting systems. TTF generated $10 million in sales in 2006, and has 30 employees.
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TTF will operate within Actuant’s Enerpac business, which is part of Actuant’s Industrial Segment.
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Actuant is a diversified industrial company with operations in more than 30 countries. The Actuant businesses focus on highly engineered position and motion control systems and branded hydraulic and electrical tools and supplies. Actuant has sales of …
Tuesday, April 17. I’m finishing my second day at the Hannover Fair in Hannover, Germany. In its 60th year, it is a collection of 13 industrial trade fairs at one site. The scale and scope of this global event is amazing, humbling and exhausting. That’s from someone who sometimes feels like half of life is spent at trade shows and conferences. Manufacturers, distributors and customers may in fact be consolidating, but this week is proof that the world of industrial products remains extremely fragmented. First impressions: I did not know there were so many manufacturers of electric motors, bearings, seals, and a long list of other products. The robotics and factory automation systems on display are simply incredible in terms of the combination of software with a range of …
Grainger, Chicago, IL, reported sales of $1.5 billion in the first quarter, up 9% from the first quarter 2006. Profit increased 18% to $102 million.
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Daily sales increased 8% in January, 10% in February and 9% in March. The company’s sales were positively affected by 1 percentage point for strong sales of seasonal products and negatively affected by 1 percentage point as the company unwinds low-margin contracts for automotive and integrated supply customers.
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Sales in the branch-based segment in the U.S., Mexico and China increased 10% in the first quarter. Daily sales grew by 9% in January, 11% in February and 11% in March.
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Sales in the U.S. were up 10%. The strongest sales growth in the U.S. came from government customers followed by …
Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation, Cleveland, OH, reported an increase in sales of 5% in the first quarter 2007 to $3.2 billion. Profit was $234 million, up 15%.
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Sales growth in the first quarter included 1% from organic growth, 2% from acquisitions, and 2% from higher foreign exchange rates. End markets declined slightly more than 1% in the quarter, driven by the decline in the NAFTA heavy-duty truck market.
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Eaton reported it anticipates a decline of 3-4% in its end markets in 2007, due to the decline in the NAFTA heavy-duty truck market.
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Eaton saw weaker conditions in the first quarter in the North American markets for residential electrical equipment and hydraulics.
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Sales for the Electrical segment …
The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods increased 1.0 percent in March, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported. This advance followed a 1.3 percent rise in February and a 0.6-percent decrease in January. The index for finished goods excluding foods and energy, or core inflation, was unchanged in March after moving up 0.4 percent in February.
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At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by producers of intermediate goods increased 1.0 percent in March following a 1.1-percent advance a month earlier, and the crude goods index rose 3.2 percent after climbing 8.9 percent in February.
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Among finished goods, the index for consumer goods less foods and energy edged up 0.1 percent in March following a …
The Fastenal Company, Winona, MN, sales of $489,157 for the first quarter ended March 31, 2007, an increase of 13.3% over the same period last year. Profit increased 12.9%.
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During the first three months of 2007, Fastenal opened 73 new sites, as it did in the first quarter 2006. There were 2,000 sites as of Dec. 31, 2006.
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Current Initiatives
During the last several years, Fastenal has been pursuing initiatives to improve its operational performance. These include: a new freight model, tactical changes to working capital model, an expanded store model called CSP2, and a ‘master stocking hub’ distribution model.
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The freight model is an effort to haul a higher percentage of products with the Fastenal trucking network and to charge …
Brady Corporation, Milwaukee, WI, acquired Sorbent Products Co., Inc., Somerset, NJ.
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Sorbent Products is a manufacturer of synthetic sorbent materials used in a variety of industrial maintenance and environmental applications for spill clean-up, containment and control. Available in a variety of shapes, sizes and configurations, SPC sorbents and spill kits are used indoors and outdoors in virtually every type of industrial market and environmental sector.
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The company has manufacturing operations in the U.S., Belgium and Hong Kong. Sorbent had sales of $47 million in 2006.
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The acquisition of SPC allows Brady to broaden its product portfolio for the MRO market and enhance its position as a provider of products that protect premises.
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