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Breaking news in Wholesale Distribution
1sourcesupplies is an alliance of distributors who want to offer single-sourcing programs to smaller customers, including inventory management, supply chain automation, streamlined billing and information analysis.
Mark Hill’s cutting tool distributorship, I.M.C. Supply Co., Memphis, TN, lost its biggest customer in 1997. The customer we lost really wanted us to have their business, but we didn’t have the programs they needed, Hill says.
Instead of folding, or scrambling to make ends meet, Hill pushed forward with a plan to find a way to offer single-sourcing solutions to his customers. Since that year, his business has doubled. About 65 percent of his business is now single-source.
Hill has decided to pass on his newfound knowledge in the form of a …
Beacon Electric Supply in Southern California implemented a fleet management system to increase the number of deliveries drivers could make in a day. The system has also helped Beacon improve customer service levels and keep salespeople apprised of issues at the delivery site.
At Beacon Electric Supply Inc., San Diego, CA, the burden of making deliveries on time used to lay on the drivers. They would get a pile of orders and it would be up to the drivers to best determine the routes, says CFO Dan Vivier. They supposedly knew their areas better than anyone else.”
While that was true, fingers were inevitably pointed at the driver whenever something went wrong with a delivery.
So Beacon implemented a fleet management software package from RouteView a …
Private label products—products branded by a wholesaler-distributor—represent a break from the more traditional wholesale distribution approach of reselling manufacturers' branded products. In our new research study, Facing the Forces of Change®: Lead the Way in the Supply Chain, we found that private label strategies by wholesaler-distributors will expand substantially over the next five years.
Private labels will strengthen wholesaler-distributors' relationships with their customers. However, they will strain distributors' relationships with their suppliers by challenging the wholesale distribution channel's traditional …
HD Supply Waterworks, a subsidiary of The Home Depot, has agreed to acquire Sioux Pipe, Inc., a water and sewer distributor with two locations in South Dakota.
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With the addition of Sioux Pipe, HD Supply Waterworks creates a presence in South Dakota.
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HD Supply Waterworks supplies products in building, repairing and maintaining water and wastewater systems. It is part of HD Supply, Home Depot’s wholesale division.
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Related Links:
Home Depot CEO Nardelli Resigns
HD Supply Sales Increase 159% in Third Quarter
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Hagemeyer has acquired BREVA, an electrical wholesaler-distributor of MRO products in Belgium. About 70% of BREVA’s sales go to industrial customers.
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The acquisition provides Hagemeyer an entrance to the Belgian market and will allow Hagemeyer to serve the Belgian subsidiaries of its large global industrial customers.
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BREVA is headquartered in Zonhoven, Belgium.
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Hagemeyer has had revenues of   ; 4.6 billion in the first nine months of 2006. More than 90% of Hagemeyer’s total revenue is generated by its core Professional Products and Services, which focuses on the value-added business-to-business distribution of electrical parts and supplies, safety and other Maintenance, Repair and Operations products in …
Strategic Distribution, Inc., Bristol, PA, has agreed to be bought out by Platinum Equity for $30 million.
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The transaction is expected to be complete by the end of March. The deal stipulates that Strategic Distribution will merge with Project Eagle Holding Corp. and Project Eagle Merger Corp., each a Platinum Equity portfolio company.
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The MRO distributor reported revenues of $136.9 million in 2005 and a net loss of $3.4 million. Its numbers haven’t improved much in fiscal 2006, with the company recording losses in the first and second quarter, and a slight gain of $0.2 million in the third.
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In November, Strategic announced its board of directors had received a letter from the board’s Chairman William R. Berkley, …
Air Products, Lehigh Valley, PA, has agreed to acquire the industrial gas business of Central Europe-based BOC Gazy Sp z o.o. from Linde Gas for 370 million euros (US$481 million).  ;
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For regulatory purposes, BOC Gazy was required to be sold by Linde as a result of its purchase of The BOC Group plc in September 2006.
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The BOC Gazy business had fiscal year 2006 sales of 126 million euros ($164  ; million).  ; The business has 750  ; employees, five industrial gas plants and six cylinder transfills serving customers across a diverse range of industries, including chemicals, steel and base metals, among others.
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“We’re taking advantage of a unique opportunity to become the number one industrial …
Sonepar USA, Philadelphia, PA, has acquired Dallas, TX-based Crawford Electric Supply Company, Ltd. Crawford Electric had sales of $175 million in 2005, according to Electrical Wholesaling’s 2006 top 200 issue.
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The acquisition extends Sonepar USA’s reach into the fast-growing Texas market.
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Crawford has locations in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio. The company offers electrical and lighting products to commercial and residential contractors.
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The purchase is Sonepar USA’s seventh acquisition in less than two years. Consistent with all Sonepar USA acquisitions, CESCO will retain its brand identity and autonomy.
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Sonepar USA is a member of the Sonepar group – a global …
Border States, Fargo, ND, has agreed to buy Minnesota Electric Supply Company, a full line provider of electrical products with eight locations in Minnesota and more than 3,000 customers.
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According to Electrical Wholesaling’s top 200, Border States had 2005 revenues of $601 million, and Minnesota Electric had sales of $78.3 million.
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Border States provides products and services to the construction, industrial, utility and data communications markets. The combined organization will have more than 1,200 employees and 51 branch operations in 11 states and Mexico.
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Cooper Electric Supply Co., Tinton Falls, NJ, has acquired Fairview Electrical Supply Corp., Fairview, NJ.
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Cooper Electric serves the New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania markets. This acquisition increases its presence to 30 locations in the tri-state area.
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Fairview Electrical Supply Co. is in Northern New Jersey with a customer footprint in both New Jersey and New York.
More Breaking …
