Industrial Distribution articles from January 2004

Industrial Distribution archives from January 2004

Beating the odds.(N.H. Bragg and Sons)(Editorial)
January 1, 2004... N.H. BRAGG & SONS might be winners of the real Survivor game. This Bangor, Maine-based general-line distributorship is celebrating its 150th year in business, still owned and managed by the same family. (See cover story, p. 40.) ...

Young executives give back.(Around and About)(Young Executive Forum)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... THE INDUSTRIAL DISTRIBUTION ASSN.'S YOUNG EXECUTIVE FORUM lent a helping hand to homeless teens in November when it launched the group's first annual Community Outreach Project. YEF teamed up with Teen Living Programs, a Chicago-based agency...

In the news.(Around and About)(Chicago Raw Hide Manufacturing Co., Saint-Gobain Abrasives Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Manufacturer Chicago Rawhide, a division of SKF, launched its STAR program last year to support U.S. troops stationed overseas. STAR stands for Supporting Troops at Rawhide. The company assembled care packages that were sent to the troops last...

Mergers & acquisitions.(Around and About)(Florida Lighting Inc. acquired by Interline Brands Inc. and Safety West Inc. acquired by Airgas)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Interline Brands, Inc., an MRO distributor headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., acquired Florida Lighting, Inc., a distributor of specialty lighting and electrical products that serves professional contractors, lighting retailers and electrical...

Awards.(Around and About)(Ironclad Performance Wear, Hughes Supply Inc., Masco Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Glove-maker Ironclad Performance Wear was named one of Los Angeles County's fastest-growing private companies by the Los Angeles Business Journal. Ironclad ranked third out of the 100 companies chosen for the award... Florida-based distributor...

Getting down to business: at the I.D.A. Business Expo, 1,700 distributors and manufacturers showed up to find out what's happening in the world of industrial distribution.(News)(Industrial Distribution Association)
January 1, 2004... As they do each year just before Thanksgiving, members of the Industrial Distribution Assn. and the Industrial Supply Manufacturers Assn. gathered in Chicago to talk business, network and learn about the newest trends and issues affecting the...

Hughes Supply buys Century Maintenance.(News)
January 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Orlando-based Hughes Supply Co. acquired Century Maintenance Supply, Inc., of Houston. The announcement was made in mid-November and is Hughes' largest such acquisition to date. Established in 1988, Century Maintenance...

Students enter PTDA-sponsored ID programs.(News)(Educational & Scholastic Foundation, Power Transmission Distributors Association, industrial distribution)
January 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- The Power Transmission Distributors Assn. Educational & Scholastic Foundation is celebrating several major milestones in its mission to address the industrial distribution channel's need for entry-level employees with...

New wholesale industry report.(News)(Distribution Research and Education Foundation, Pembroke Consulting Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- The new edition of the wholesale industry report series, Facing the Forces of Change, will be released in March of this year by The National Assn. of Wholesaler-Distributors' Distribution Research and Education Foundation and...

Buffington scholarship off to a strong start.(News)(Gary L. Buffington)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- In July, the Industrial Distribution Assn, lost its executive vice president, Gary L. Buffington, to cancer. But Buffington will be remembered for years to come, thanks in part to efforts by industry leaders, I.D.A. staff members and...

NAW to meet in Washington.(News)(National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- The National Assn. of Wholesaler-Distributors will hold its annual Executive Summit, Jan. 26-28 in Washington, D.C. "Forecast 2004" will be held at the Capital Hilton Hotel. Among the speakers and presenters will be an array...

Distributors.(Players)(appointments, Deacon Industrial Supply Co., Hughes Supply Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Hughes Supply, Inc. appointed Tim Pitre branch manager at its New Orleans MRO branch... Deacon Industrial appointed Chuck Bihl vice president, industrial sales, and promoted Ralph Nather to heating division manager...

Manufacturers.(Players)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Master Chemical Corp. appointed Gregory H. Knudson chief marketing officer, Dan W. Witt chief financial officer and David W. Enright director of research and development... Igloo Products Corp. promoted Ben Damiani to director of business and...

Software/technology.(Players)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... White Systems, an FKI Logistex company, appointed Richard Lanpheare and Daniel VanHooser regional sales managers... Ray Hrdy, vice president of technology at DISC, has received the Professional Progress Award from the Seaton Society at Kansas...

I.D.A. product training manuals: essential skills and information for industrial distributors.(Industrial Distribution Association)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Training is critical to the survival and growth of distributors today. To help fill that need, I.D.A. training manuals are geared towards the training needs of industrial sales professionals, allowing distributors to take advantage of a...

PTDA's new officers.(Associations)(Power Transmission Distributors Association)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Members who attended the Power Transmission Distributors Assn.'s 2003 Convention, held in October in New Orleans, elected its new crop of officers, board of directors and the Manufacturer Council for 2004. Elected officers include Don R....

Centralized training resource.(Associations, National Association of Electrical Distributors)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The National Assn. of Electrical Distributors is seeking training information from the entire electrical industry to create a centralized All-Industry Training Clearinghouse of distributor resources. Hosted through its Web site, www.naed.org,...

Positives and negatives.(Associations)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... According to the Fluid Power Distributors Assn.'s recent online Membership Scan, declining customer bases, eroding supplier relationships, and rising health care costs are the three issues most affecting FPDA distributorships. FPDA...

Michael Wright, new to NAW.(Associations, National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The newest Profiles in Wholesale Distribution Leadership CD set from the National Assn. of Wholesaler-Distributors' Distribution Research and Education Foundation features a wide-ranging conversation with Michael W. Wright, recently retired CEO...

Calendar.(Calendar)
January 1, 2004... February 5-8 NFPA Spring Conference and Annual Meeting Marco Island, Fla. (414) 778-3344 www.nfpa.com February 17-20 World of Concrete Orlando (972) 536-6373 www.worldofconcrete.com February...

Getting fully connected: service tops software issues as connectivity grows.(E Biz)
January 1, 2004... COMPARING wholesale distributors to teenagers may be quite a leap. But one e-business professional makes that very analogy when discussing the attempts by many distributors to move their companies from what he calls "a paper environment" to one...

Inventory management and control.(Tech Notes, FastPic Systems)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... WESTBROOK, MAINE -- The cycle counting feature of FastPic4 inventory management and control software from FastPic Systems provides distribution companies with an efficient way to monitor inventory levels in automated storage and retrieval...

ICICI signs Software Works.(Tech Notes)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... EDISON, N.J. -- ICICI Infotech, a provider of information technology products and services for enterprise resource planning, has signed a partnership agreement with Software Works, Inc., an enterprise technology solutions supplier delivering a...

Keep it secure.(Tech Notes, internet protocol)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. -- New IP security protection and SNMP "add-on" features are available for use with SIXNET's Versa TRAK IPm Remote Terminal Unit, SixTRAK IPm Open DCS Controller, SixTRAK I/O Controller, and the new EtherTRAK Dual Ethernet...

Measurement converter software! Free!(Tech Notes, Hayward Industrial Products, Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... ELIZABETH, N.J. -- Visitors to the Hayward Industrial Products, Inc. Web site, www.haywardindustrial.com, can download, at no charge, Click n' Convert, an easy-to-use measurement converter program that will convert hundreds of different...

ADX, take 3.(Tech Notes)(Advanced Data Exchange)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... NEWARK, CALIF. -- ADX-Advanced Data Exchange, a provider of supply chain integration solutions, introduced the third generation of the ADX Network, the backbone of ADX's outsourced supply chain connectivity service, a program that enables...

The tradition continues: N.H. Bragg & Sons is 150 years old and still owned by members of the family that founded it in 1854. This Maine-based company is building on its past to ensure a strong future.(company profile)(Company Profile)
January 1, 2004... John W. Bragg, the president of N.H. Bragg & Sons, smiles when he's asked the reasons for the success of his Bangor, Maine-based distributorship. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "We've always changed with the times. We may be slow to change at...

Something old something new: door-to-door demos and hand-held computers are innovative approaches to business for two companies.(Innovation in Distribution)
January 1, 2004... When looking around at what can be "innovative" in the distribution field, the word itself becomes a malleable concept. [GRAPHIC OMITTED] Two companies examined here have made their lives easier (and more profitable) by changing the...

Brighter horizons: a better business climate in 2004 is good news, but it's not a panacea for the problems that plague distributors.(Economy, economic analysis)
January 1, 2004... By most accounts, 2004 will be a turnaround year for industrial distributors. Economists expect a pickup in many of the key manufacturing sectors distributors sell to, and the overall economic outlook bodes well. ********** Economic...

What have you done for me lately? Trade associations strive to provide a worthy organization for members to value.(Trade Associations)
January 1, 2004... When that yearly invoice for membership dues lands on a distributor, manufacturer or rep's desk, a trade association's future is in the balance. The member looks at the invoice and considers whether it is worth it for them to continue their...

2004 Technology Directory.(software, hardware and consulting services)(Directory)(Illustration)
January 1, 2004... Welcome to ID's 10th Annual Technology Directory. Below is a list of companies that provide software, hardware and consulting services to industrial distributors. You may access this reference tool on our Web site as well, www.inddist.com. ...

The power of your brand: your company's image is represented by more than a product or logo--it's tied to everything you do.(Strictly for Sales, brand names)
January 1, 2004... COMPANIES INVEST MILLIONS OF DOLLARS and countless man-hours in their brands. Brands are carefully researched and crafted for years. Brands evolve over time. The good ones stand the test of time; the bad ones fall by the wayside. Brands say...

Powers Fasteners' Trak-It gas fastening system: fast, light and balanced, Trak-It is one tool for all trades.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The Trak-It gas fastening tool from Powers Fasteners is significantly lighter, faster and more reliable than competitive gas tools. Powers' goal is to open the market to more pin types, more applications and more contractor trades. Tradespeople...

Nylon cartridges.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... Nylon cartridges with a 50-ml. capacity are now available for the MIXPAC hand-held cartridge dispensing system, in which they are used to dispense two-component adhesives in all available ratios. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ConProTec, Inc....

Trucks and carts.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The multi-purpose line of hand trucks and appliance carts are available in aluminum or steel and can handle capacities ranging from 350 to 1,200 lbs. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Vestil Manufacturing Co. >> Enter 203

Wheel chocks.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... Aluminum wheel chocks are available with a 346-in. high removable handle and sign; has dimensions of 7 in. wide X 8 in. high X 10 in. deep; and renders bending over or getting on the ground unnecessary. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] T & S...

2004 catalog.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The 2004 catalog features brass fittings for tube, pipe and hose; cast fittings and nipples in brass, bronze, stainless steel, black and galvanized steel and malleable iron; valves and strainers; and their new line of hydraulic adaptors. ...

Effective bonding.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... Safe2Bond is available in two levels of viscosity: low, which allows for excess to be wiped away, and medium, which allows excess to be peeled; is supplied in 55-lb. drums for industrial use and 7-oz. plastic bottles for domestic use; and cures...

Compressed-air dryers.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... These compressed-air dryers utilize membrane technology to achieve optimal water vapor removal rates; provide a condensate-free environment; provide dew point suppression up to 80[degrees]F; and are suitable for deployment in most industrial...

Flat magnet wire.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The expanded flat magnet wire program offers sizes from 30 AWG to 9 AWG, in 5 standard ratios of thickness: 1:2, 1:2.5, 1:3, 1:3.5 and 1:4; and are available in two spool sizes, 10 lb. spools measuring 6 in. OD by 4 in. high, or 20 lb. spools...

Vertical mount card guide.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The VMCG-50-PM card guide aids in quick and easy installation of printed circuit board in a card mount application where space is critical; is made from glass-filled nylon 6; and comes with an M3 metric screw and washer. [ILLUSTRATION...

High-pressure nailer.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The high-pressure framing nailer kit features a 175psi nailer and oil lube; a compressor with console; 3/8-in. fittings; pipe joint tape and 50 ft. air hose; has an ergonomic grip and tool-free adjustments; and uses 32[degrees], 2 in. to 3 1/2...

Reversible Boom crane.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The Reversible Boom crane with knuckle boom combination features narrow tracks for narrow aisles and crowded areas; can go as slow as 1 ft. per min. up to 4 mph; has a 90[degrees] steering capability; and features a hydraulic-powered cable...

Mid-range hacksaw frame.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The 319 hacksaw features the ERGO frame to provide comfort, cutting strength and versatility; offers handle-integrated tensioning mechanism for high-blade tensioning; blade pins that allow 90[degrees] or 55[degrees] flush cutting; and a handle...

Extension cords.(New Products)(Coleman Cable Systems Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The newly modified line of Polar/Solar Plus extension cords now includes a Quadnector 4-way power block extension cord and an extra-hard usage extension cord with a 600-vol jacket; and provides superior abrasion resistance and remain flexible...

NSCR cable reel.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The NSCR700 cable reel features a compact design with a sturdy, narrow frame for use with live electrical wire; can be mounted in confined spaces; and is ideal for use with power tools, lights, machinery and generators. [ILLUSTRATION...

Fingerprint login.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... Job Shop Manager uses an employee fingerprint login to track time and job budgets, eliminating the hassle of data entry and raising employee accountability; and provides a payroll report with accuracy up to 1/100th of an hour. Labor...

Hammer head weight.(New Products)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The fiberglass-handled hammer puts about 70% of the hammer head weight forward of the center line of a traditional hammer; boasts a head design and over-strike guard forged in one piece, and a smooth, continuous face-to-claw radius. ...

High-strength steel.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... Extra high-strength steel has enabled wagon manufacturer, Tatravagonka, to reduce the weight of locking arms by 50%, eliminating the risk of strain injuries for port personnel. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tatravagonka >> Enter 217

Future of audio.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The NetSOLO Broadband offers full-network control and communications, digital messaging, live voice instructions and firefighter telephone communications through a distributed network fire alarm system--all on a single pair of wires. Fire...

Low power ringing SLIC.(New Products)(Silver Telecom Ltd.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Ag1170 can operate with either a +5V or +3.3V power supply; is available in 14-pin single inline or 21-pin, dual inline format; and is designed to work with loop lengths of up to nearly 2 miles. Silver Telecom Ltd. >> Enter 219

Stainless steel window kit.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... Heavy-duty and rugged, these tempered plate-glass window kits are offered in 304 and 316L stainless steel; are easily installed; feature a silicone gasket that provides protection against oil, water and dust; and can be ordered as part of the...

Inflatable packaging.(Sealed Air Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Fill-Air RF inflatable packaging system provides more cushioning protection; has greater versatility and flexibility; produces cushions with ideal air retention under load for void fill applications; and has an extencled valve for easier...

Platforms and pallets.
January 1, 2004... This line of affordable shipping platforms and pallets draws upon the proven success of aircraft design and construction techniques to deliver high-load bearing capability at a low tare weight and cost. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Rhino...

Electrician's step bit.
January 1, 2004... The Electrician's step bit drills through mild steel, copper, brass, aluminum, wood, plastic and laminates; creates 1 1/8 in., 7/8 in. and 1/2 in. holes; requires less pressure and reduces drilling time. Textron, Inc. >> Enter 223

Our most valuable assets.(Final Word)(employees)
January 1, 2004... IN TODAY'S MARKET, adding value and providing a high level of service is critical to stay competitive. To do so, we must invest in our most valuable asset: our employees. Distributor salespeople are an extension of our customers' purchasing and...